


Baby, It's Cold Outside

by HEDA_OWNS_MY_SOUL



Category: Jane the Virgin (TV), roisa - Fandom
Genre: Doesn't follow Canon after Luisa finding out Rose is dating her father, F/F, Luisa is still a useless (but sober) lesbian, New Years Roisa, Rose is still a sexy goddess crime lord, So why not at a chalet in the Swiss Alps a few days before New Years, There's gonna be some angst before there's fluff...fair warning, They're going to have to talk about things eventually anyway, mentions of alcohol abuse/alcoholism but Luisa's not gonna relapse I promise
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-17
Updated: 2019-01-30
Packaged: 2019-09-21 02:11:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 28,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17034486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HEDA_OWNS_MY_SOUL/pseuds/HEDA_OWNS_MY_SOUL
Summary: It's been over five months since that night of fireworks and passionate lovemaking...and of Luisa finding out that Rose was actually dating her father. Rose has seemingly moved on...but Luisa hasn't...not really. Yet she's been staying sober and keeping herself scarce when it comes to the chance of having to face Rose. So when her father proposes to Rose a few days before Christmas, Luisa completely shuts out her family. Worried, Rafael and Emilio decide to send Luisa on an all expenses paid luxury getaway to the family's opulent mountain chalet in the Swiss Alps where she can unwind, be pampered, and ring in the New Year more centered, and hopefully accepting of Rose and Emilio's relationship. But Luisa hates snow. And she hates mountain chalets. And she hates being cold. But what she hates even more...unexpected visitors, mainly of the drop-dead gorgeous redheaded type. Or maybe she doesn’t really hate that last one. ;)





	1. The Sobering Ache of Head Over Heart

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! So, I'm super late to getting on board the Roisa train. Just started watching Jane the Virgin when I saw it was on Netflix. To be honest, I can't stand Jane or Rafael or Michael...but I really can't stand Jane, lol. The only good parts of the show, to me, are when Luisa, Rose, or Petra are in a scene. Anyway, I fell in love with Luisa and Rose. Just wish they would have given then a better story line. It would have been really cool to see a female drug lord maintain her prowess in that world while trying to also balance a relationship with Luisa. But Alas, we got what the show's writers did with them. Bleh. Anyway, hope you enjoy the fic. I'm not sure how long it will be. We'll see where the story takes these two ladies. :)

Luisa woke with a crick in her neck and rumble in her stomach. It didn’t matter that she had such a cozy set-up in her father’s private jet, complete with a bed topped with the most luxurious mattress money could buy with custom made, highest thread count known to man sheets...she never could sleep well on an airplane. And it didn’t help brighten her mood any that she was on her way to her family’s private luxury chalet in the heart of the Swiss Alps. None of that mattered because...she was flying alone, and...she was going to Switzerland...alone. 

Luisa hated flying. And long flights were even worse. But usually she’d pass the mundane time in the air between a beautiful woman in that sinfully comfy bed and a few bottles of premium vodka. Alas, she had neither of those things to keep her company this time, so with a frustrated huff, she pushed off the sheets and stood, stretching out the various kinks in her muscles before slowly making her way over to a plush, overstuffed recliner a few feet away. 

As she sank down into the recliner, she barely noticed as Marco, her father’s long-time steward for his jet, sat down a tray filled with a delicious-smelling dinner made by the jet’s private chef. Luisa barely muttered a thanks as he sat down a glass of eggnog next to the tray before quietly walking away. Her stomach was telling her she was hungry, but her mind was telling her that eating might make her feel all the more miserable. As she picked at the pasta on her plate, her mind started wandering to the past week, and of course, to a certain gorgeous redheaded woman... 

It had been a particularly hard week for Luisa...the week leading up to Christmas Day. It was usually her favorite time of the year...filled with plenty of pretty women that had been invited to the annual Marbella Christmas bash, which was basically a week-long celebration that started in the early evenings and lasted well into the mornings. So, between the endless supply of potential hot one-night stands and overflowing, copious amounts of hard liquor, Luisa found the Marbella Christmas bash to be an even better time than their end of the year New Year’s Eve gala. 

Unfortunately, this year was different. Not only had she been one hundred- and twenty-four-days sober at the start of the Christmas bash, but she also had no interest in the several women who had already approached her on the first day of the party. And the reason she wasn’t interested in any of those otherwise tempting as hell ladies had just walked in the room, wearing a green and red sequined gown that hugged her heavenly curves in the most perfect way, her auburn, velvety hair cascading down her neck and over her shoulders, and her eyes as blue as the deepest, unspoiled ocean...yes, into the ballroom she walked...on the arm of Luisa’s father. 

It had been over five months now since Luisa and Rose had met that fateful evening at the lady bar. Five months since she’d felt the bruising urgency in her kisses, the silky-smooth feel of her skin upon hers when they’d made love...over and over and over again. It had been five months since lightning had struck between them...since the fireworks had gone off, only solidifying the intensity both had been feeling in that moment together. But then...it had also been five months since the revelation that Rose was actually dating Luisa’s father. A revelation that had left a bitter taste in Luisa’s mouth, especially at the nonchalant way Rose had dismissed what they’d shared the night before as just getting it out of her system...being with a woman one last time...so that she could try her best to peruse her relationship with Emilio. 

As hard as it was to do so, Luisa turned away from Rose and her father, wishing like hell she had a few shots of vodka in front of her to quickly down, so it could burn away the pain that festered in her chest at the sight of Rose. Instead, she grimaced at the unappealing club soda with a slice of lemon that sat in front of her and tried to summon up the courage to not only stay sober, but steer clear of the woman that had been haunting her feelings and dreams since the night they’d met. 

They’d had very few interactions since the night she’d found out Rose was with Luisa’s father, and that’s how Luisa had wanted it. She’d come up with various excuses to miss family dinners with her father, Rafael, and Rose so that she didn’t have to go through the agony of sitting across from the woman who had rejected her, said it had been a mistake. There were a few times where she couldn’t wriggle her way out of it though, and she’d have to join them. And every time she could feel those deep blue eyes upon her, boring holes into her soul as though Rose possessed some sort of laser heat vision like Supergirl. But Luisa never dared meet the redhead's gaze. One sultry look from her and Luisa knew she wouldn’t be able to hold it together. 

One time though, the tension had become so thick between them, Luisa had to excuse herself and quickly flee to the bathroom, splashing cold water on her face so she could at least try to come across as having it together before dessert was served. Unfortunately, not a few seconds later, Rose had come into the bathroom to check on her, standing behind Luisa and gazing into her reflection in the mirror as she drew her head up from the sink. Their eyes held in the mirror for what seemed like quite a long time until Luisa finally turned around, bracing her hands against the sink for support. Rose stepped in closer, still silent as she brushed a stray wet strand of hair from Luisa’s face. Her touch was so tender and the look in her eyes even more so, but Luisa couldn’t bear to keep the moment going, knowing it wouldn’t...couldn’t lead anywhere. So, she quickly slid out from Rose’s touch, grabbed a paper towel to quickly dry off her damp face, and exited the bathroom without looking back. 

From then on, Luisa did her best to bury herself in her work, AA meetings, and meditative yoga, steering clear of the Marbella since the “bathroom encounter,” as she called it now, with Rose. The redhead that plagued her thoughts had tried countless times to reach out to her, which Luisa had to admit, did feel nice...knowing she still had an effect on her. But she refused to talk to her, and instead focused on getting her life back on track. In fact, she hadn’t even seen Rose since the “bathroom encounter,” until the first night of the Christmas bash came around. 

Luisa knew she’d have to make an appearance. It was tradition after all. But she made sure Rafael and her father knew that she’d only be staying for a short while since the temptation of falling off the wagon would most likely be too much for her to handle. And they had understood, wanting nothing more than to see her happy and healthy and permanently sober. So, there she was, sitting at the bar, nursing a glass of club soda while half-listening to the latest woman who had approached her and was talking about her stay in Miami when Rose had walked in with Luisa’s father. They turned heads as the made their way over to the dance floor, but Luisa had already managed to tear her gaze away from Rose by then. She chugged the club soda, nearly choking on the intense tingle of bubbles from the carbonation. After a few sputters and an amused look from the bartender, she sat the glass down, stood, and straightened out the creases in her dress. 

She vaguely heard the applause around the room as she made her way over to a corner of the ballroom to let Rafael and Petra know she was going to call it a night. But before she could reach her brother, she was stopped abruptly by a hand grabbing her wrist. And when that hand turned her around, Luisa was looking up into Rose’s beautiful blue eyes. Before she could protest though, Rose leaned in close to Luisa and whispered into her ear that she needed to talk to her, that there was something important she had to tell her before... 

A loud clinking of a knife upon glass made them both quickly turn their heads towards the sound. Luisa’s father put down the glass once he had the attention of the ballroom. He started going on about the holidays and it being a joyous time of year for friends and family to come together. Luisa wasn’t paying much attention, as she was still focused on the fact that Rose hadn’t let go of her wrist, which currently felt like it was on fire from the touch. The next chain of events seemed to happen in a blur...like she was in a drunken haze, only she was very much sober in the moment. Luisa’s father raised his glass full of champagne towards where she and Rose were standing as she heard the tail end of her father’s announcement...that Rose had agreed to marry him. She remembered Rose’s grip tightening on her wrist and her leaning back in to murmur an apology before letting go, putting on a fake smile, and walking towards her father. And in that haze of a moment, reality hit her smack in the face...more sobering than anything else she’d ever encountered. Rose was going to marry Luisa’s father. It was all Luisa could do to make her way to the exit. She felt like she was going to be sick...sicker than a few bottles’ binge on vodka could ever make her. 

Contrary to what most probably had expected, Luisa didn’t relapse that night. Thankfully, Petra had somehow seen how upset she’d been and helped her get back to her hotel room She even stayed with her and offered her comfort as Luisa broke down in sobs. The beautiful thing about the surprising new friendship between she and Petra was that Petra didn’t ask any questions. She just was simply there for her and even offered to call Luisa’s sponsor for her. She’d never admitted to Petra about her true feelings for Rose...that she was in love with her, but the snarky blonde knew the signs. And she of course knew the signs of heartbreak. So, she let Luisa cry herself to sleep, tucked her in on the couch with her favorite cozy blanket, and checked to make sure there was no alcohol hidden anywhere in the hotel suite before heading out and back down to the festivities. 

When Luisa awoke the next morning, she was thankful there was no hammering headache or dried vomit encrusted on her clothes. While she didn’t miss those parts of a hangover, what she did miss was the part where she couldn’t remember what had happened the night before. She remembered it all, from how stunningly beautiful Rose looked in her dress, to the searing heat felt when her hand was around Luisa’s wrist, to the insane notion that Rose had actually agreed to marry her father. Luisa groaned at the thought. Her heart was breaking and her head actually was aching...at the now very real situation that the woman who was once her lover was now going to be her stepmother. Luckily, a knock on the door revealed Petra checking in on her while bringing her breakfast. And so, for a few short hours, she had a bit of a distraction. 

But Petra had things to do and a relationship with her brother to maintain, so obviously she couldn’t be around all the time for Luisa. And Luisa wouldn’t have wanted that for her anyway. She never wanted to be pitied under any circumstances. What she did want, however, was to get the hell out of her father’s hotel. It now felt stifling and tainted. And those feelings were plenty to make her give in to the already gnawing urge to seek out a bottle of vodka from the bar downstairs. So, she quickly grabbed her suitcase, packed up her things, and wrote a quick note to Petra asking if she could please check her out of the hotel. There was no way in hell she was going to risk running into her father or Rose while checking out at the front desk. Luisa knew plenty of back exits in the hotel, and she would definitely make use of one of them now. 

A few hours later, tucked warm and cozy into her own bed, Luisa ended the phone conversation with her AA sponsor. Since she had plenty of time off for the holidays, she decided it was time to take some time for herself...which meant long, contemplative walks along the beach, finally catching up on the stack of novels she’s been meaning to read for some time now, and maybe even doing a bit of Christmas cookie baking. Not on her agenda...talking to her family or thinking about Rose. And so, after sending a quick text to Petra promising she was okay and not to worry if she didn’t hear from her, even on Christmas Day, Luisa turned off her phone, snuggled into her comforter, and drifted off to sleep. Tomorrow was a new day. 

And tomorrow actually was a good day for Luisa, as was the next day as well. But the day before Christmas, Luisa’s attempt at serenity and sanity was instantaneously interrupted by incessant banging and yelling at her door. It seemed as though Rafael and her father hadn’t believed Petra when she’d told them about Luisa’s text. And after two days of trying to call, text, and email, they were afraid she’d gone on another bender. As they rushed into her condo, Luisa didn’t pay them much attention. Her eyes were focused elsewhere, on the hesitant redhead who slowly stepped inside, a mix of sadness and worry swirling around in those stormy blue eyes. 

The trance was broken, however, by Rafael yelling something about how worried they’d been and asking question after question as he and Emilio began searching her condo for any signs that she’d been drinking...empty vodka bottles, a filthy house littered with dirty clothes and powdered doughnut wrappers...anything that would indicate that she’d fallen off the wagon yet again. But before she could say anything, Rose spoke up in her defense. She told the two men to stop behaving like such Neanderthals and that all they needed to have done was to look into Luisa’s eyes and they would have seen that she hadn’t been drinking. And as she was saying that, she’d managed lock her eyes with Luisa’s yet again, this time conveying more emotion than a sober, in love with the woman who was coming to her defense Luisa could handle. So, she cleared her throat, broke the intense gaze, and confirmed to her brother and father that she hadn’t been on a drinking binge the last couple of days. She explained that she was feeling overwhelmed with the holidays and then the engagement, seeing Rose flinch ever so slightly at the mention, and that she just needs some time to herself. 

When the two Neanderthals finally realized what idiots they’d been, they immediately went over to Luisa and encircled her in a firm hug. Luisa looked over at Rose amidst the hug, but couldn’t quite read what her eyes were saying this time. She looked distant and maybe even a little depressed. But she was a pro at saving face, and as Emilio reached out to take her hand, inviting her to join them in the hug, Rose put on her pleased smile face and stepped over to the embracing family. As Rafael stepped to the slide slightly so Rose could fit in, Luisa felt Rose’s arm encircle her lower back and pull her in tight. She tried not to sigh at the tingle she felt rush up her spine as she felt Rose rub up and down her back gently before giving her one last squeeze for emphasis and breaking the hug. 

Once composed, everyone stood in uncomfortable silence for a few moments before Emilio’s eyes lit up with an idea. He then suggested that Luisa spend the holidays at the family chalet in Switzerland, indicating that it would be good for Luisa to get away and rest and that hopefully a little crisp, mountain air and fresh white snow would help raise her spirits and maybe even help ease the tension between she and Rose...which he noted, he noticed, for the record. Luisa’s eyes went wide at the suggestion. For one, she hated the snow. Two...she hated mountain chalets. And three...well, she just hated be cold in general. 

So, Luisa was about to protest when, in her surprise, Rose stepped in to protest on her behalf. She mentioned how Luisa hated the cold (one of the many little personal tidbits they’d shared with each other the night they’d met) and that she shouldn’t be away from her family during the holidays and that she and Luisa could spend more time together the next couple of weeks so they could get to know each other better and deal with what Emilio had referred to as tension. And that’s when Luisa knew that despite her hatred for all things winter weather, she had to go. There was no way she could stay in Miami for the holidays and be close to Rose knowing that the redhead thought what they’d had was a mistake...that she’d chosen Luisa’s father over her. That she didn’t have feelings for Luisa. There was no way Luisa would be able to handle the agony of being around a woman she’d never felt so strongly for as the way she felt for Rose. 

Surprising them all, Luisa agreed. Her father would arrange for the best of everything for her trip...the best masseuse, the best guru, the best personal chef...whatever she could possibly desire. Luisa managed a half-smile at her father’s generosity. But in her mind, there was only one thing she desired...one person...one woman. And all of the best massages and guru sessions and mouth-watering five-star cuisine would never be enough to take the place of that desire. 

So, here she was, a few days later, on her way to Switzerland...with thoughts of Rose still swirling through her head. Frustrated, she knocked back the glass of eggnog, completely forgetting that it was non-alcoholic. She nearly gagged before begrudgingly swallowing the foul concoction. The eggnog she was used to was heavy on the bourbon and light on the...eggs? Without the alcohol, she surmised, with disgust, eggnog apparently tasted like...sweet scrambled eggs. Quickly gulping down her nearby bottle of water, Luisa then sank back down into the recliner with a sigh. No alcohol, no Rose, and no warm weather. This was going to one long holiday week...


	2. The Sobering Reality of Realizations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now it's time for Rose's point of view on the situation...

When Luisa had suddenly agreed that she’d take Emilio up on his offer of rest and relaxation at the family’s mountain chalet in Switzerland, Rose had been shocked, to say the least. Though she kept her composure with a teeth-gritting smile and a nod of approval, she felt her heart literally ache with pangs of sadness. But in that aching heart, she knew that she didn’t deserve to have Luisa say yes to her proposal of spending more time together so that they could work on resolving the so called “tension,” as Emilio had put it. She was the one that had abruptly ended things with Luisa. She was the one that had called that passionate night they’d spent together full of deep emotion and connection a mistake. Yet, Rose still held onto a sliver of hope that Luisa would agree to stay home for the holidays. 

But at the mention of staying in Miami and having some perceived bonding time to work on their newfound family dynamic relationship (or so that’s the front she’d proposed to appease Rafael and Emilio), Luisa had chosen the prospects of a cold, snowy week in the Swiss Alps over the warm, next to the ocean preference Rose knew she loved. Luisa had chosen snow over Rose. And although it may not have sounded as dramatic and uncharacteristic as any normal person would make it out to be, to Rose, it was a direct punch in the gut courtesy of Luisa. And that was because...Rose knew how much Luisa hated all things cold weather and snow. 

It had come up during one of their needed “rest breaks” during their marathon love-making session the night they’d met. It had been amazing to Rose just how freely things flowed between them. She felt like she could tell Luisa everything...well, not exactly everything. There was one secret in particular she could never reveal. Although for the first time ever, caught up in the moment, she actually felt herself wanting to tell Luisa her true identity. She didn’t, of course. But that didn’t stop her from answering every other question Luisa posed. Because there was something about the woman that seemed to put a spell over the usually immune to emotions redhead. 

Rose had asked Luisa why she chose to stay in Miami when a woman as intelligent and successful as she was could chose to put up a medical practice just about anywhere. And Luisa’s response had been thoughtful, and to Rose...just a little bit poetic. She listened with a pleased grin as Luisa described the way the warm, humid, and salty ocean breeze made her feel grounded...how it felt like home. And how she loved taking long, contemplative walks along the beach whenever she felt the world was closing in on her and she needed to drink...how the crashing of the waves, the gentle lapping of the water hitting her ankles, and even the squawking of the seagulls overhead made her feel a little less alone. 

As Luisa continued with her passionate prose as to why she loved Miami so much, Rose felt herself falling a little more for the goofy brunette lying next to her. She knew she shouldn’t let herself feel even a little. She knew that she should have shut it down quickly, gotten dressed, and walked away without looking back. But the longer Luisa talked, the further away that feeling of wanting to do her usual one-night stand routine became. Luisa ended her long, drawn-out answer to Rose’s question by adding the simple statement that there was also the fact that she loved Miami because she hated...absolutely hated cold weather...snow included. When she was finished, Rose couldn’t help but let out a slight chuckle. 

“What are you laughing at?” Luisa had asked. 

“No, it nothing, it’s just...you could have simply stated you hated the cold.” Rose had answered back. 

“Where’s the fun in that?” Luisa had responded, propping herself up on her elbow as she pushed Rose back down into the bed, naughty intentions playing across her face. 

“Well...it’s just too bad really.” Rose had said, pulling Luisa over and on top of her, their eyes locked in a lusty gaze. 

“What’s too bad?” Luisa had inquired, tilting her head inquisitively. 

“I myself prefer the cold.” Rose had answered. 

“...the snow.” She had continued and then pulled Luisa down to her lips for a quick yet searing kiss. 

“...the beauty of a frozen landscape glistening all around me.” She had continued yet again and yet again pulled Luisa into another hot kiss. 

“...and the raw, passionate sex in front of the blazing fireplace when you’re stuck inside because of a blizzard.” Rose had finished before planting an even deeper kiss on her lips. 

The kiss took both their breaths away, and after it ended, Luisa rested her forehead against Rose’s, taking a moment to catch her breath. Once she had, she pulled her head back to see a sly grin across Rose’s lips. 

“I mean, maybe I could be persuaded to endure the misery of wind chills and blizzards.” Luisa had stated teasingly. 

“Oh? Maybe?” Rose had teased back before flipping Luisa over onto her back in one swift move and looking down at her intensely. 

“And just what exactly would it take for you to leave your warm ocean breezes for a frigid arctic blast?” Rose had asked at Luisa’s ear before teasing it with a gentle nip of her teeth. 

Rose then grazed Luisa’s jawline before teasing a trail with her tongue down to her throat. 

“Well.” Luisa had started, humming her approval at the current attention Rose was now giving the side of her neck. “She would have to be one hell of a woman to convince me to run away with her to her ice fortress in Siberia.” 

Rose let out an amused chuckle in between kissing and sucking her way down Luisa’s throat. 

“What else?” Rose had asked, now making her way down between Luisa’s breasts. 

Luisa started to squirm as she felt Rose’s mouth begin to place open mouth kisses on her stomach. 

“Of course...she’d have to be drop-dead gorgeous. I mean, if we’re going to be having raw, passionate sex in front of the blazing fireplace, there’s gotta be an equally blazing...attraction.” 

“Mmm-hmmm.” Rose had muttered against Luisa’s stomach, reaching just below her navel before smiling up at her. “Anything else?” 

“Yeah.” Luisa had responded quietly. “She’d have to be willing to hold me and be patient with me whenever I felt weak and had the feeling that I needed to drink while we’re waiting out the blizzard.” 

Rose’s demeanor instantly changed as she saw Luisa close her eyes. Concerned, she slid her way back up Luisa’s body so that they were face to face again. She gently cupped the side of her face, caressing Luisa’s cheek with her thumb. 

“Hey.” Rose had said, her voice a low whisper. “Look at me.” 

When Luisa finally did look at her, Rose could see the suffering in her eyes. And in that moment, she wanted nothing more than to hold the women close and be the comfort and strength she needed when she was questioning her sobriety. She had a feeling that nobody had really done that for Luisa before. But Rose also knew that what they had together that night...that would have to be it. There was too much on the line for her...to many events already set in motion. So, all Rose could do in that moment was lean in and kiss Luisa gently, but with enough feeling to hopefully convey to Luisa that she really did care about her. Eventually, the kiss grew heated though, and they ended up making love for the-well actually she’d lost count of how many times that made it. 

Later on, in the early morning hours, Rose had felt Luisa stir behind her. She was about to turn around to face her when she felt Luisa’s hand stroke her arm gently before whispering... 

“Hey...I know you’re asleep, but I’ve lying here thinking about everything, and I just wanted to say...I’d definitely choose you over the snow...and maybe even over the ocean.” 

Rose smiled sleepily and nearly let out a sigh as she felt Luisa’s arm slip around stomach and pull her closer, snuggling her chin into Rose’s shoulder. 

Rose actually did let out a sigh at the memory, forgetting for a second that she was having dinner at the Marbella with Emilio, Rafael, and Petra. She quickly snapped out of her Luisa-induced haze at the sound of Emilio’s voice. 

“Rose? Darling?” 

“Hmmmm?” Rose answered, not quite yet aware that she had been so deep in reminiscing mode. 

“I asked if you and Petra wanted to work together in getting the last-minute details situated for the New Year's gala? But you didn’t seem to hear me. Everything okay?” 

Rose cleared her throat and tried to gather her thoughts a little better before answering Emilio. 

“Mmm-hmm. I’m fine. And yes...yes, I can help Petra with the preparations.” 

“Wonderful.” Emilio replied before standing and placing a kiss atop Rose’s head. “Raf and I will leave you to it, as we’ve got some financial things to discuss.” 

Rose managed a small smile as she watched Emilio and Rafael walk away, unaware that Petra had just sat down beside her. Rose jumped at her voice. 

“You’re not doing a very good job at hiding it.” Petra stated, giving Rose an unapproving look. 

Rose nervously brushed at her dress, trying to iron out creases that weren’t there. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Rose responded, refusing to look Petra in the eyes. 

“Men are oblivious to the signs...especially when they’re super subtle.” 

“Look, Petra, I truly don’t know what you’re getting at, so perhaps we should get to those gala details Emilio was talking about?” 

“There are no gala details. I’m the queen of party planning. Do you really think I’d need your help with that?” Petra scoffed through an amused chuckle. 

“I...well then I really don’t understand what you and I are doing here.” Rose responded. 

Petra grabbed onto Rose’s wrist, squeezing tightly and forcing Rose to finally look her in the eye...nervous blue meeting intense blue. 

“Are you in love with her?” Petra inquired, her voice stern. 

But where Petra may have been the queen of party planning, Rose was the queen of playing it cool. 

“You misspoke, I’m afraid. I’m sure you meant to ask if I’m in love with him...as in Emilio, my future husband? And yes, of course I’m in love with him. So, I’d appreciate it if you never ask me such an insulting question again.” 

But Petra wasn’t buying Rose’s attempt at playing it cool, nor her obvious ploy of deflecting. 

“I think we both know...that I didn’t misspeak. So, let me ask the question once more. Because I won’t ask it a third time. And before I decide if helping you would be a good thing for Luisa or could potentially send her into a drinking binge that I’m sure neither one of us wants to see happen, you need to answer it. “ 

Petra leaned in closer so that she was face to face with Rose, sending her the message loud and clear that she wasn’t messing around. 

“Do. You. Love. Her?” Petra asked once more. 

“Yes.” Rose’s response came, barely above a whisper. 

“Okay. Then you need to come with me. We’ve got a “gala” to plan.” 

Petra gave Rose a not so subtle wink before pulling her to her feet. And before she knew it, she was on her way up to Petra’s suite, for reasons she wasn’t quite sure of yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ya gotta love Petra. ;)


	3. The Sobering Triumph of Facing Fears

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luisa's on her way to the chalet...

When Luisa finally landed in Zurich, she was less than thrilled that it would take another three hours of travel by car to get to the chalet. She pulled her thick wool scarf tighter around her face to ward off the chill in the air as the chauffeur took her luggage and loaded it before walking around to where she was standing to open the door. She let out an instant sigh of contentment as she felt the warmth from the car’s heater surround her. 

Much to her surprise, the scenic drive was absolutely breathtaking. Well, she guessed she wasn’t really all that surprised. It was the Swiss Alps after all...a seemingly ethereal winter wonderland. There really was something calming about all of the mountain scenery around her. But then suddenly, Luisa felt a wave of sadness sweep through her as she continued to gaze out of the car window at the majestic, snow covered mountains towering over the trees and terrain blanketed in white serenity. The cause of that onset of sadness...thoughts of a certain sexy redhead and a certain conversation they’d had in bed the night they’d first met. 

Luisa let out a sullen sigh. Rose had been right...there was a beauty to the glistening frozen landscape all around her. For a moment, Luisa let herself get lost in a daydream. One where Rose was in the car with her and they were on the way to the chalet together...on a romantic getaway. As they looked out the window at the beautiful scenery, Luisa cuddled in closer to Rose’s side, partly for warmth and partly because she just wanted to be as close as she could get to the woman she loved- 

“No!” Luisa exclaimed out of nowhere, breaking the silence in the car. “I don’t love her...anymore. I can’t love her...anymore” 

“What was that, Ms. Alver?” The chauffeur asked, looking back at Luisa in the rear-view mirror. “Everything okay?” 

“No...ummmm, yes, I mean yeah, fine. Everything is fine.” Luisa cleared her throat in an attempt to act like she hadn’t just blurted out what she had. “How much longer?” 

“About another hour or so. You’re lucky you made it in when you did. Another day or so and this road will probably be closed down. There’s a big snowstorm heading our way.” 

Luisa was suddenly very alert as she quickly sat up straight in her seat. 

“I’m sorry, did you say snowstorm?” Luisa asked, just a tad bit horrified at the notion of there being more snow around than there already was. 

“Yes, but don’t worry, Ms. Alver. I’m sure the chalet will be plenty stocked with all of your needs if you find yourself snowbound for the week. Mr. Solano is usually always prepared for the largest of blizzards. And I’m sure your father has made sure you’ll be well taken care of.” 

“I’m sorry...again. But...snowbound? As in...can’t go anywhere...for possibly a week?” 

Luisa was seconds away from having the chauffeur turn the car around and take her back to the airport. Blizzards? Snowbound? And no alcohol or a beautiful woman to take her mind off the literal mountains of snow piling up outside that weren’t, well...actually mountains? Hell no. She could not handle that. She suddenly found herself racking her brain trying to remember if she’d ever read anything about psychotic break due to snow during her medical school years. Surely it was a thing. Or maybe she’d be the first case study in history. Or maybe she was being a bit over-dramatic? Of course she could handle a bit of snow and a week of solitude...even if that week was going to include the new year. What she couldn’t handle, was ringing in the new year at the Marbella...watching Rose kiss her father at midnight...having to hear about wedding planning...but mostly having to watch Rose kiss her father at midnight. 

The chauffeur snapped her from her thoughts back to reality. 

“There’s always the possibility. But I think you’ll find you’ll have plenty to keep you busy at the chalet. It’s your first time there, isn’t it? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you here with Mr. Solano and your brother.” 

“Yes. It’s my first time here. But I have to tell ya...I’m just a little bit on edge at the prospect of having more snow...” Luisa peered out the window before continuing. “...you know, then there already is.” 

The chauffeur let out an amused chuckle before responding. 

“You’re one of those beach bum kind of ladies, huh?” 

“Yes. Absolutely!” Luisa replied quickly, a hint of nervousness in her voice. 

“Just make sure you keep the fireplace burning nice and hot, and you’ll feel right at home...just like Miami.” The chauffeur mused, a hint of teasing in his voice. 

“Sure. Of course.” Luisa replied before slouching back down into her seat. “Just as soon as I figure out how a damn fireplace even works.” She murmured quietly to herself, watching as the endless snowy scenery passed by. 

The road leading up to the chalet was fairly steep, and definitely not a positive experience for Luisa, as she had a death grip on the handle above the car window with one hand and another white-knuckle grip onto her seat-belt with the other. Among things like cold weather, snow, and finding out the woman she had the most electrifying connection with ever in her lesbian life was actually dating her father and now going to marry him...Luisa also hated heights. Which was probably why she’d never wanted to go on these Swiss Alps skiing trips her father and brother loved to go on every year. Well, aside from it being so freakin’ cold, of course. And, well...that she didn’t know how to ski in the first place and never really cared to learn, because well...the heights thing. 

Her father and brother never knew she had a fear of heights. No-one really did. Well, that wasn’t exactly true. There was someone who knew about. So, Luisa found herself thinking back to that evening...that night of fireworks and passionate love-making sessions and...telling each other things so easily and freely like they had known each other for years instead of only hours. 

“Tell me something no-one else knows about you.” Rose had said, while stroking Luisa’s hair gently as her head rested atop the redhead’s chest and she snuggled into Rose’s side. 

“I pretty much an open book. I don’t think there’s really anything out there that my family and at least a dozen bartenders don’t already know.” Luisa had answered honestly. 

“It’s okay if you can’t think of anything. I just figured...you know, a beautiful woman sitting alone at a bar full of eligible women while sipping on a club soda instead of a vodka martini so she can stay true to her sobriety might have a few interesting stories left to tell.” Rose had mused as she continued to lazily run her fingers through Luisa’s locks. 

“Beautiful and interesting, huh. Wow...well, your flattery is duly noted...and appreciated. But you don’t have to exaggerate to get me to open up. Like I said, I’m an open book.” Luisa had responded, a little dejected from letting her insecurities take over for a second. 

“Hey.” Rose had said, putting her hand under Luisa’s chin and tilting her head up to her eyes. “I don’t exaggerate. I always mean what I say. Come here.” 

Luisa scooted up in the bed closer to Rose and propped herself up on her elbow, resting her head in her hand. Rose did the same and then continued while brushing some stray hands of Luisa’s hair back from her face. 

“You are beautiful. And you’re interesting. And...you have the most captivating eyes.” Rose had told Luisa, her equally captivating eyes locked on Luisa’s. 

“Oh, so I captivate you, do I?” Luisa had teased back, making Rose let out an amused chuckle. 

“Very much so.” Rose had replied with a smile before leaning in and kissing Luisa sweetly. 

When their lips parted, Luisa couldn’t help but keep her eyes locked with the intense blue of Rose’s. And in that moment, she felt like she could tell this woman anything and everything her heart desired. It was a strange and exhilarating feeling...something Luisa had never felt before. And so she said it... 

“Heights.” Luisa had stated, garnering a confused look out of Rose. 

“What?” Rose asked, slightly tilting her head inquisitively. 

“I have a fear of heights. I’ve never told anybody, not even my brother.” Luisa had replied. 

“Not even a girlfriend?” Rose had asked back, trying to get a feel for how many serious relationships the brunette had been in. 

“No...I...well there’s never really been anyone serious enough to tell that to...you know, girlfriend wise." Luisa had said quietly, lowering her eyes. 

Rose lifted Luisa’s chin once again so that Luisa would look at her. 

“Then I feel honored to be the one you’ve told that to.” Rose had responded, gently giving Luisa’s cheek a caress. “You want to tell me about it?” She had asked, patience and understanding in her eyes. 

And much to Luisa’s surprise, she did want to tell Rose about it. So, she did. And Rose had listened intently as Luisa told the sordid tell of a youthful dare gone wrong, involving a fall from the highest limbs of an oak tree, a broken promise of catching Luisa if she fell, and a broken arm complete with several stitches just above her hairline courtesy of an ill-placed rock protruding up from the dirt when she hit the ground. 

“...and ever since then, I get this nauseous, dizzy feeling if I’m even a few feet off the ground. And trees...I’m pretty sure there’s a phobia in there somewhere too. Is that a thing...fear of trees? It could just be oak trees though...I’m not really sure, but-” Luisa had stopped her rambling at Roses amused yet quiet laugh. 

“You’re so adorable when you ramble.” Rose had said through the laugh. 

“Hey! This is serious stuff here. I’ll have you know, having a broken arm, dozens of stitches, and a near death experience is life altering!” Luisa had exclaimed, feigning outrage at Rose making light of the situation. 

“Oh, I don’t doubt that.” Rose had responded, still smiling at how adorable the brunette was. She leaned in and planted a gentle kiss on Luisa’s forehead. “Is that where you got your stitches.” She had asked. 

“No.” Luisa had responded, knowing Rose was still teasing her, so she played along. “I told you where I got them. It’s your fault you weren’t paying attention.” 

“Hmmm...” Rose murmured before placing another gently kiss just below Luisa’s hairline. “How about there?” 

“Wrong again.” Luisa stated, trying to sound bored with Rose’s game of find the stitches scar. 

“Really? Well, surely, I must be getting closer. How about here...” 

But this time, Rose didn’t kiss higher on Luisa’s head. Instead, her lips quickly moved just beneath Luisa’s jaw as she pushed the brunette onto her back and eased her body atop Luisa’s while nipping at her upper neck, garnering a pleased moan from Luisa. 

“For the record...” Rose had said, her lips right at Luisa’s ear, giving it an enticing nip with her lips before continuing. “...I would have caught you when you fell.” 

And Luisa had believed it as she held onto Rose’s hand, squeezing it for the support she was going to need to endure the shocks of pleasure currently pulsing through her as Rose’s lips began to descend down her body. 

“We’re here, Ms. Alver.” The chauffeur said as he put the car in park. 

Luisa had been so wrapped up in trying to get her mind off of the dizzying heights of the drive up to the chalet, that she hadn’t even realized the car had come to a stop. She looked down at her hand that had been grasping the seat-belt, feeling a sense of safety at the thought of Rose having held her hand and getting her through her fears. 

“Ms. Alver?” The chauffeur repeated, only this time he had already opened her door and was holding out his hand to help her out. 

Luisa cleared her throat, trying once again to shake off thoughts of Rose and the impending cold and snow she was going to have to endure. So, she took the chauffeur’s hand and stepped out of the car. And once she turned around and saw the chalet for the first time, her mouth dropped in awe. It was absolutely gigantic...and stunning, especially set against the backdrop of that glistening frozen landscape all around. And for the first time since begrudgingly agreeing to taking the trip to Switzerland...Luisa thought maybe, just maybe...it wouldn’t be such a terrible vacation after all. Just as long as she could figure out how to get a fireplace to work, of course...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It seems I really enjoy flashing back to that night there were fireworks. I can't help it, I feel like with the connection they made, they would have had these kinds of talks in between all of that love-making...haha! Hope you're enjoying it. :)


	4. The Sobering Intent of Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luisa can't quite seem to shake thoughts of Rose from her head...even in the isolation of the Swiss Alps

Luisa was greeted at the front door of the chalet by a cheery, middle-aged woman named Elin. The over-exuberant woman pulled Luisa into a hug, taking the brunette off guard as the Swiss woman went on about how excited she was to finally meet Emilio’s beautiful daughter. Luisa was too shocked by the perky plump women hugging her that she froze, not quite expecting such a warm welcome...or any welcome at all, to be honest. 

As the chauffeur brought her luggage up to the door, Elin finally let go, prompting Luisa to start rummaging through her purse for her wallet so she could tip the driver. The chauffeur, however, promptly refused, telling Luisa her father had already generously compensated him for making the last-minute pickup. So, with a Happy New Year greeting to both women, he headed back to his car. 

Luisa grabbed her luggage, despite the insistence from Elin that it was her job to carry it in for her, especially since Luisa must be tired from all of the travelling, and followed the Swiss woman into the chalet. As they headed from the front door into the main living area, Luisa’s jaw dropped for a second time. The room seemed to go on for miles, and the whole interior of the house was just as breathtaking at the outside...with its rustic wood beams and expertly done, cozy yet modern furnishings that all centered around a gigantic fireplace. 

It was the fireplace that held Luisa’s attention as the fire inside crackled and popped, inviting her to take a closer look. The yellow and orangish-red flames blazed as she drew closer, only to realize she’d just stepped onto something soft. Looking down, she saw a huge white plush rug a few feet away from the fireplace. Suddenly feeling very weary, she plopped down on the rug, sighing at its welcoming cushiness. The rug reminded her of the snow outside, yet it was warm and comforting as the flames of the fire danced in front of her, their orangish-red hues starting to remind her of a certain someone with hair the color of fire...and thoughts of what that certain someone had said about fireplaces... 

_“...and the raw, passionate sex in front of the blazing fireplace when you’re stuck inside because of a blizzard.”_

And then, of course, they’d had more raw, passionate sex in the hotel room... 

Suddenly Luisa felt quite warm, and she was pretty sure it wasn’t because of the fire. She started fanning herself with her hand, because try as she might, she currently couldn’t get the image of Rose beneath her...naked, on that very cozy rug, as they made sure that notion of raw, passionate sex in front of the blazing fireplace was indeed proven...many times over. 

“Okay, Luisa, time to get a damn grip!” She muttered to herself as she quickly stood from that cozy and now sinfully tantalizingly titillating rug, thankful that Elin hadn’t returned from taking her luggage up to the master bedroom yet. 

Here she was, thousands of miles away from Rose, and yet she still couldn’t seem to keep her mind off of her. Everything reminded her of the redhead...the woman who had rejected her and made her feel as though she’d been crazy to think they’d shared something that night they met...the night there had been fireworks. Rose had most definitely moved on...and easily so apparently. So, there was no reason why Luisa couldn’t do the same. She was going to use this time away to heal, to work on herself and her peace of mind. And with that resolution coming to mind, Elin returned, ready to give Luisa an official tour of the chalet. 

“Oh, you like the fireplace, huh. Don’t worry, there’s also one up in the master bedroom where you’ll be sleeping. It’s so darling and cozy, and...there’s one of those lovely white plush rugs in front of it too. Come on, let’s have a look!” Elin said excitedly as she headed for the staircase at the other end of the room. 

“Of course there’s another fireplace.” Luisa sighed to herself, thinking maybe she should think about sleeping in one of the other rooms instead. 

Once Luisa finally saw the master bedroom, however, she decided there was no way she was going to sleep somewhere else...fireplace Rose fantasies be damned. To say the room was abundantly spacious would be an understatement. But it wasn't the size and the sheer coziness factor that made it the best room in the chalet...it was the view. An entire side of the room had floor to wall windows. And when Elin drew open the curtains, Luisa gasped at the sight before. The majestic mountains dominated the background, while the foreground, numerous snow-cover pine trees dotted the landscape. As she stepped closer, peering out at the white, blanketed serenity before her and a few snowflakes began to dance around in the sky, only one word came to mind... 

“Beautiful.” Luisa whispered, taking it all in. 

“Indeed it is.” Elin agreed. “Come, there’s much more to see.” 

Before they left the master bedroom, Elin showed her the equally impressive mater bathroom, complete with a hot-tub bathtub the came with its own view of the mountains outside. Luisa made a mental note that a long, hot soak in that inviting tub would be just what she needed to unwind and relax later in the evening. 

Elin showed Luisa the impressive and generously stocked kitchen area, informing her that the chalet’s personal chef had already prepared enough gourmet meals to keep her happily fed for at least two weeks before she left for the holiday. All she’d have to do was reheat the food in the oven. Luisa was definitely grateful for that. Although she actually did love to cook, cooking for one was never fun. She found it depressing and such as waste not to be able to share her culinary creations with someone else. Elin assured her, though, that there was also plenty of fresh produce in the pantry if she did indeed feel like cooking something up. 

Luisa lost count of how many other rooms the chalet had. They were all similarly furnished and equally lovely. There was even a large game room next to the living room, complete with a pool table, and various games like chess and checkers. Through the game room there was a spacious home theater room, complete with a huge movie screen and several overstuffed couches. She was pleased to hear Elin tell her that there was access to Netflix and plenty of movie channels to choose from as well. 

“Now we'll head down to the sauna area and then outside to the pool and Jacuzzi.” 

Luisa groaned to herself. Of course there would be a sauna, pool, and Jacuzzi. Normally, she’d be thrilled. She did love a good swim. It had always been her go-to form of exercise to help relieve the stress and tension from a busy work day or problematic patient at the hospital. But she couldn’t seem to step foot into a pool ever since the Fourth of July, out of fear that those vivid, passionate memories would come flooding back tenfold from what they already did from just looking at a pool. 

“Oh, it’s okay. You don’t have to show me. I probably won’t even swim anyway. It’s too cold.” Luisa said, trying to dissuade the Swiss woman from taking her into what she feared would be a hyper sensualized reaction. 

“Nonsense. The pool and hot-tub are the highlights of the whole chalet! And don’t worry about the cold. Even the pool is heated. You won’t even notice you’re in the middle of the mountains. Why...you could even swim naked and still not get cold in that pool!” Elin exclaimed happily, giving Luisa a playful nudge with her elbow. “And no-one would even know either. My husband and I stay down at the guest complex down the road. So, you’ll have plenty of privacy if you do feel the need to have a bit of skinny-dipping fun.” Elin winked as she said it and then turned to head out of the theater room. 

Luisa let out an exasperated sigh. Being naked in a pool was not the visual she needed in her head at the moment...especially since she was currently following Elin down to the very place where she knew keeping check on her apparently not in check hormones would most likely be impossible. At this rate, she hoped that the various movie channels Elin had mentioned in the home theater room had a few porn options. Because she had a feeling there was going to be an imminent need for release later in the evening. 

And so, they headed downstairs, first to see the sauna. As they stepped inside the sauna, Elin began to explain how it worked. Luisa was trying to pay attention, but at the mention of hot and steam and then more steam...her eyes drifted over to the corner of the sauna, where she suddenly saw an image of Rose sitting on the wooden bench, wrapped in a small white towel, sweat dripping from temple and slowly trailing its way down between her breasts. Then Rose glanced down at her breasts before raising her eyes to meet Luisa’s in a mischievous grin as she reached up and slowly started to pull away the towel. 

“Oh my God!” Luisa shouted before running out of the sauna. 

When Elin found her standing outside of the sauna, she was flushed and trying to control her breathing. 

“Goodness, dear. Are you okay?” Elin asked with concern in her voice. 

“Mmm-hmmm...fine.” Luisa replied while fanning her face. “It’s...ah...well...I just get a bit claustrophobic sometimes. I think the close quarters of the sauna must have triggered that.” 

“Oh, my. I’m so sorry. You should have told me. We would have skipped the sauna.” 

“No, no...it’s okay. It ah...it comes and goes.” Luisa explained as she felt her racing pulse finally slow down a bit. 

“Okay then. Are you ready to see the pool?” 

“Mmm-hmmmm...yes. Ready.” Luisa replied, not exactly sounding convincing. 

Luisa was not ready to see the pool. 

It was huge, it was beautiful, it was steaming from the heat of the water meeting the cold, crisp air, and it was perfect. Elin encouraged her to dip her feet in the water so she could see how warm it was. Luisa new it wouldn’t be a good idea to do so, but she found herself removing her shoes anyway. She sat at the pool’s edge and sunk her legs into the warm water, letting out a sigh at the warmth and the calming scenery of the mountains before her. 

She knew it was coming, and at this point, she just didn’t want to fight it anymore. So, as she looked to her left, she allowed herself to see the image of Rose sitting beside her, still wrapped in that little white towel...legs submerged in the pool as well. She imagined rubbing her leg against the redhead’s like she’d done the night they’d met, making the Rose image give her a warm smile before in one swift motion, tossing her towel aside and slipping into the pool, disappearing underwater. She emerged halfway down the pool and seductively motioned for Luisa to come to her with her index finger. Luisa let out a sigh of frustration as she closed her eyes, trying to get rid of the Rose vision before opening them up and looking up at Elin. 

“Will there be fireworks for the New Year?” Luisa asked. “I’m not the biggest fan of them, so it’s best to know ahead of time so I can distract myself from the noise.” Luisa lied, knowing exactly why she didn’t like the combination of pools and fireworks. 

“Why yes, actually. There’s a chalet community about ten miles away that puts on a firework show every New Years at midnight. Although it’s quite a ways away, you can see them perfectly out here on the pool deck.” 

“Good to know. Thank you.” Luisa replied. 

“Shall we go check out the jacuzzi then?” Elin asked with a smile. 

Luisa’s eyes traveled over to the corner of the pool deck where the over-sized jacuzzi was. But the image of Rose was already there, sitting in the swirling jets of heated water barely covering her definitely not covered breasts. Luisa swallowed hard before closing her eyes and looking away, willing her mind to stop torturing her with thoughts of Rose. She cleared her throat and then quickly stood. 

“No, it’s fine. If it’s okay with you, I think I’ll call it a night, grab something to eat, and relax in the bath up in the bedroom.” 

“Of course, dear. Let’s head back up and I’ll make sure everything is in order before heading out so you can have your privacy and rest.” 

“Great. Thank you.” Luisa replied, bending down to retrieve her shoes before following the Swiss woman away from the pool area. 

Thirty minutes later, Elin was ready to head out, and just in time too, as a weather bulletin had come on over the small portable radio sitting on the kitchen counter, indicating heavy snow and potential blizzard conditions would be arriving soon. Elin assured Luisa that if she needed anything, she and her husband could get to the chalet via snowmobile if necessary. 

“That won’t be necessary, Elin. You enjoy the rest of the week with your husband. I’ll be fine here, you’ve seen to that. Thank you so much.” 

“You’re very welcome, dear. I’ll be leaving then.” 

Elin was about to head out the front door before turning around quickly in front of Luisa. 

“Oh! I almost forgot. In the pantry, there are several cases of premium sparkling apple cider. We cleaned out the liquor cabinet because well...” Elin trailed off, not wanting to seem rude. 

“Of course, I know.” Luisa replied, giving Elin a reassuring smile. “And thank you. Sparkling cider sounds lovely.” 

“Okay, dear. Remember to call if you need anything.” 

“I will. Thank you again.” Luisa replied. 

Luisa let out a large sigh as the Swiss woman finally left, looking forward to finally having some time to relax and wind down. 

Two hours later, a happily fed, thoroughly relaxed Luisa got out of the lavender oil scented hot tub bath, drying off before slipping on probably the coziest robe she’d ever experienced. She sighed into its warmth and softness as she headed out into the bedroom. She made her way over to the insanely comfortable looking king-sized bed, intent on finally getting some sleep when she suddenly heard a banging noise at the front door downstairs. Confused and now a little on edge, Luisa slowly made her way downstairs, thinking maybe she had just been hearing things. But as she reached the bottom of the stairs, the banging started again, this time louder and more incessant. 

“Okay, coming. I’m coming, hold on.” Luisa yelled, thinking the only possible person it could be was Elin...or maybe a stranded traveler...or maybe...a serial killer that only kills during blizzards. 

Shaking that last thought from her head, she reminded herself to stop watching so many true crime murder documentaries. The banging continued as she finally made her way to the door. But when she opened it, the wind blew it quickly the rest of the way open. And when she looked up to get a look at who was in the doorway, she was met with very intense, very blue...very familiar eyes. 

“Rose?” Luisa exclaimed, not quite sure she was believing what she was seeing. 

Luisa looked down to see two suitcases at Rose’s side. Still quite shocked, she looked up at the taller woman again. She had on a purple stocking cap, but her hair was already in curls from the wet snow that was falling. Luisa loved it when her hair got curly like that. But Rose didn’t know that. Then again, maybe she somehow did. Because then Rose proceeded to take off her mittens and yanked off the stocking cap, brushing the snow from her curly locks and trying her best to style them so they didn’t look so wild. But unbeknownst to Rose, it was the wild look Luisa loved even more. 

Rose hadn’t taken her eyes off of Luisa the whole time. And when she finished messing with her hair, fresh snowflakes landing on her curls, she finally spoke. 

“Luisa.” She paused for a moment, in dramatic Rose fashion. “May I come in.” 

Luisa crossed her arms across her chest in defiance. She’d just managed to get the redhead out of her thoughts earlier in the evening, and this definitely wasn’t helping matters. 

“No.” Luisa responded, straightening her spine, trying to look as strong as she possibly could in the presence of the one woman who could turn her legs to jelly with just one sensual smirk. 

Unfortunately, Rose also knew the power she had over Luisa. So, as she leaned against the door-frame, her arm reaching up over her head as she stuck her signature seductive pose and her lips forming that equally seductive smile, she definitely knew the possible effects it could have on Luisa. 

“But baby, it’s cold outside.” Rose stated, her intense blue eyes still locked on Luisa’s. 

“Are you freakin’ kidding me right now?” Luisa shouted. 

And that was definitely not the response Rose had been looking to get out of the brunette. But before she could respond, Luisa continued. 

“What the hell are you even doing here? How did you even get here?” 

What the hell was she doing there? And how did she even get there? Well, that was definitely an interesting story...one that involved a persistent and protective blonde, tapping into her resources and contacts involving a side of her life nobody else knew about, and a nagging feeling that she needed to be with Luisa now more than ever. She let out a sigh, knowing she was going to have to tell Luisa things about herself now...things that might cause her to hate her even more than she already did. But that was a risk she was willing to take. So, she stopped leaning against the door-frame and faced those accusing, questioning hazel eyes staring back at her, slipping from seductive Rose to serious Rose. 

“I’ll tell you everything. Please...just let me in.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Luisa. She's just so...Luisa. Haha! Stay tuned as the fun (and most likely angst) begins... ;)


	5. The Sobering Power of Petra

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose and Petra have a chat about things and we get Rose's point of view as she arrives at the chalet.

**_Twenty-Four Hours Earlier..._ **

 

Instead of taking Rose up to her suite like the redhead had been anticipating, she found herself in the blonde’s office. Petra said it was for more privacy, assuming that Emilio and Rafael wouldn’t think of interrupting them in Petra’s office, thinking they were hard at work on the gala planning. At this point though, Rose could have cared less if they were interrupted. She really wasn’t up for whatever Petra had to say...especially concerning her and Luisa. Then again, she was a little unnerved that Petra had even known there had been a Rose and Luisa at some point. So as the intrusively adamant blonde continued to talk on her phone, going on about something to do with the actual gala, Rose couldn’t help but start thinking of various ways she could get rid of Petra. 

However, somewhere in between formulating various kidnapping scenarios and intricate murder plots, Petra finally ended the phone call, turning around to face Rose. Rose, of course, not appreciating being made to wait for anything, crossed arms over her chest and raised her eyebrow in stern disapproval. Petra didn’t seem to be phased by the redhead, giving her a disapproving look right back. 

“Sorry for keeping you waiting. But I do actually have a gala to plan. Do you want to sit?” Petra asked, motioning to the chair sitting in front of her desk. 

“I highly doubt I’ll be here long enough to sit. So, why don’t you just say whatever it is you need to say.” 

“Oh, I have plenty to say to you.” Petra stated, walking around her desk so she could be face to face with Rose. “But right now, that’s going to have to wait. Because in this moment, hashing out our differences...despite how very much I want to...isn’t going to help the current situation you’re in. And it most definitely isn’t going to help Luisa. So-” 

“Look, I don’t know what you think you know about Luisa...about me...about anything involving-” 

“Oh, I know plenty.” Petra stated quickly, a sly smirk on her face. “So, I’m going to need to you take it down a few notches so that we can discuss what to do about Luisa civilly...and in a timely manner, of course.” 

Rose sneered back at Petra, not impressed with her arrogance or mentions of Luisa. 

“Luisa hates you. She thinks you’re a blonde bimbo of a trophy wife trying to steal Rafael’s money so you can leave him and then move on to your next mark. Her words exactly.” 

Rose had been expecting a surprised reaction out of Petra, but the blonde’s smirk turned into an amused smile instead. 

“That was so five months ago. Where have you been? Oh right, you’ve been too busy being arm candy for a man twice your age while planning something in that gorgeous head of yours...what it is I haven’t figured out yet, but don’t think I’ll stop trying...all the while hiding your sexuality and breaking a recovering alcoholic’s heart in the process. Does that about cover it? 

Yeah, Rose definitely hadn’t seen all that coming. And she wasn’t sure what angered her more, that she’d been caught off guard, or that she’d never paid attention enough to realize that Luisa and Petra had befriended each other. But Petra wasn’t quite done yet... 

“And Luisa apologized for thinking that, by the way. Which I accepted, after admitting that initially...everything she’d said was true. But things had changed by then. I had changed. My feelings for Rafael had changed. We had a real heart to heart that night...the night she found out that this amazing woman she’d been gushing about all day was actually dating her father and told her that the connection they’d made on the 4th of July had been a mistake. I’m sure you remember what I’m referencing, right?” 

Of course Rose remembered. She’d never be able to forget that night and how she’d broken Luisa’s heart the next evening when she was completely blindsided by the fact that she was Emilio’s daughter. But for Petra to know all of this, well, that was not something she expected. Yet, she was going to try to power through the situation anyway. 

“I’m not sure why Luisa told you all of that. It’s personal and really none of your business. It really wasn’t her place to-” 

“To what? Have her heart broken? To need someone to talk to about it?” 

“It really wasn’t that serious, Petra. I’m sorry if you were led to believe it was. Luisa can be...quite dramatic, as you probably well know.” 

Petra took a step in closer to Rose, the determination intense in her eyes. 

“It wasn't serious? Then why are you always looking around the room whenever we’re having our family dinners hoping she’ll show up for once?” 

“That’s ridiculous. I-” 

Rose had turned to walk away, but was quickly stopped by Petra’s had firmly grabbing her wrist and turning her back around to face the blonde. 

“And why, the few times that she has shown up for dinner, do your eyes light up like these...blue beacons of happiness...ugh with the hot for Luisa heart-eyes by the way...when you’ve realized that finally you don’t have to search the room and wonder about her...long for her to be there.” 

Petra held Rose’s fierce glare, neither woman giving in the weight of what had just been said. Although, Petra had been absolutely spot on in her assessment of Rose when it had come to those family dinners. She just thought she was being plenty stealthy and subtle about it. Because after all...stealth and subtlety were the two things that had gotten her where she was today. Stealth, subtlety, and...denial. Because as long as she could deny that Luisa had an effect on her, then her plan would stay on course. And she wouldn’t falter. She couldn’t afford to falter in her line of business. 

“She wasn’t supposed to happen.” Rose whispered, more to herself than to Petra. 

A hint of understanding played across Petra’s face as she let go of Rose’s wrist. 

“Falling in love with Rafael wasn’t supposed to happen. But it did. And it altered everything. Just as I’m sure falling for Luisa has thrown your plans off course.” 

“No.” Rose stated firmly, regaining her composure. “I haven’t been thrown off course.” She stepped in closer to Petra, putting herself into full intimidating Rose mode. “And I don’t know what sort of game you’re playing at here, but it’s not going to work. So, you’ll do well to remember that in the future...you shouldn’t mess with me.” 

“You can threaten me all you want, darling, but all the threats in the world aren’t going to erase what you feel for her. I’m pretty sure of that.” 

“What I may or may not feel is not relevant. It can’t be. And even if I were to let it be relevant...it doesn’t matter. Not when Luisa has made it painfully obvious that she wants nothing to do with me. And I refuse to pointlessly pine after a woman who feels nothing for me in return. Now...if you’ll excuse me, we’re done here.” 

In a controlled huff, Rose whirled around, heading for the exit. But Petra was determined to get in the last word. 

“If you really believe that, then you’re not as smart as I thought you were.” 

Rose turned back around, seeing Petra cross her arms over her chest, a satisfied yet determined look on her face. 

“You should ask her where she was...what happened later that night after she found out you were dating her father...after you called her a mistake.” 

“Well...I assume she went home to her girlfriend, since she had no problem dismissing me right back and rubbing it my face that she was involved with someone as well.” 

Rose crossed her arms over her chest in defiance, the two women now mirroring each other in their moment of equal stubbornness. 

“You two really need to work on your communication skills. I mean you’d think two adult women in love with each other would be so much better at communicating their feelings to each other. And yet...here you are, still in Miami while Luisa is on her way to Switzerland to do...God knows what because she can’t even stand when the temperature drops below seventy.” 

Petra’s arms dropped to her side as she casually walked back behind her desk, looking through a messy stack of papers. She finally found what she was looking for, reading the piece of paper over quickly, and then looked up at Rose, continuing as if she hadn’t paused the conversation a moment ago. 

“...and so I really can’t imagine how she’s going to fare in freezing temperatures with all of that dreadful snow. Especially since-” 

“She hates the cold.” Rose said through gritted teeth. “Why are you stating the obvious? I wanted her to stay here, with me for the holidays. She chose to run off to the god-damned Swiss Alps in the middle of winter instead of spending one second here with me. So, your delusion of us being two women in love is just that...a delusion.” 

“Hmmm.” Petra hummed back in response. “If it’s a delusion, then I guess it will be of no concern to you that Luisa is going to be alone...in a huge chalet during New Years, most likely holed up for days because of the snow...with a gigantic liquor cabinet stocked full with every kind of alcohol imaginable. And trust me, I know, I’ve been to the chalet once before. That liquor cabinet is an alcoholic’s wet dream...pun intended.” 

Petra watched as Rose’s face faltered from stoic and stubborn to sadness and concern...if only for a split second. As Rose marched over to Petra’s desk, she now looked as though she was going to go into a fit of rage. She didn’t, however. Rose kept her cool. But as she spoke, Petra heard exactly what she’d expected in Rose’s tone of voice... 

“It’s not going to happen. Luisa isn’t going to relapse. I’ve made sure of that.” Rose said sternly. 

“No offense, but how exactly could you make sure Luisa doesn’t give into that huge temptation and have a drink...or two or three or...too many to count? It’s not like you’re there telling her to stop. If anything, you’d probably be the main reason she’d be falling off the wagon anyway.” 

Petra saw Rose flinch slightly at the suggestion that she could be the cause for Luisa having a relapse. Now she was just waiting for an admission to see if what she’d suspected had been true. Rose clenched her fists and took in a breath to calm her anger before she spoke... 

“I would never want to be the cause of Luisa having a relapse. She’s come so far...worked so hard to stay sober. And I know I can’t be there for her to help her through those daily struggles she goes through when she has to fight the urge to drink. I can’t be there for her, so...” 

Rose’s voice trailed off for a moment as she looked away from Petra. The redhead looked somewhat distraught and lost in her thoughts for second before returning her eyes to meet Petra’s. 

“...so I called Elin, the caretaker of Emilio’s chalet. And I asked her to remove all of the alcohol. I explained the situation and asked for her discretion. And I told her that it was Emilio that had wanted me to call, even though, neither he nor Rafael even thought to get rid of the alcohol before Luisa arrived. They hadn’t even mentioned it. Imagine...they were going to let Luisa be alone...during the holidays...locked up with a cabinet full of...” 

Rose paused again, looking away from Petra. 

“I wasn’t going to let that happen. It’s Luisa...I...” 

“You love her.” Petra stated quietly, getting the confirmation that she’d suspected all along. 

She’d suspected it because she knew how Rafael and Emilio were. She knew that they really weren’t all that invested in Luisa’s sobriety. Hell, they even joked sometimes that she must be off on a bender if they hadn’t heard from her in a while. Petra knew they cared...when they remembered to. So, when Luisa had taken it upon herself to call the chalet and request that the alcohol be taken out, she was surprised to learn that Emilio had supposedly already called ahead to let them know. But Petra had suspected otherwise. And she had the feeling a certain redhead that held Luisa’s heart was most likely to thank for making sure Luisa would be taken care of the best she could in her own absence. 

“I will always love Luisa.” Rose stated quietly. “But there’s nothing I can do about it. It’s never going to be the right time...not with the things I have going on and will probably always have going on. She deserves better than that.” 

“I agree. She does.” Petra responded, not one to beat around the bush. “But she also deserves the opportunity to decide for herself, don’t you think?” 

Petra held the piece of paper she’d been holding in front of Rose, who looked down at it, raising her eyebrows in confusion. After a nudge of insistence with the piece of paper, Rose finally took it from Petra, reading over it as Petra continued... 

“Your flight leaves in two hours. I know you’re used to private jets and personal stewardesses when you travel, but the Solano jet is still on its flight back from Zurich after dropping Luisa off. And if you wait until it gets back to Miami before taking off, chances are the flight will be cancelled since there’s a blizzard in the forecast. So flying commercial is your only option.” 

“You want me to fly to Switzerland? Go after Luisa? That’s never going to work. She’d tell me to turn around and take my ass back to the airport.” 

“Probably.” Petra replied with a grin. “But not if there’s a blizzard coming. You’re more likely to be get an angered response out of her before she promptly pulls that ass inside because you’re letting in all the cold weather.” 

Rose let out an amused chuckle, not believing she was even considering the crazy idea of being with Luisa...alone...in a chalet in the Swiss Alps. 

“Using her hatred of all things cold to my advantage. That’s devious.” Rose mused. 

“Deviously genius.” Petra mused back. 

“I don’t get it though.” Rose said, looking up from the paper to meet Petra’s eyes. 

“You don’t get what?” Petra asked, not quite sure where the redhead was going with her statement. 

“Why do you care so much about what happens with me and Luisa?” 

“Well...maybe I’m not the heartless bitch most people make me out to be.” Petra replied with a satisfied smirk. 

“I have a feeling it’s more than that.” Rose replied, tilting her head in contemplation. 

“Could be. Maybe it will come up during that long...long talk you and Luisa need to have.” 

Rose let out a sigh, still not quite convinced Luisa would be will to talk to her at this point. But before she could talk herself out of it, Petra continued... 

“Go. Now. I’ll take care of covering for you with Emilio and Rafael.” 

“Okay. Thanks.” Rose muttered as Petra was now all but pushing her out of her office. 

“And tell Luisa I said Happy New Year.” Petra added before shutting the door in Rose’s face. 

 

******************************************************************************************************

**_Twenty-Four Hours Later..._ **

 

All Rose could think about as the snowmobile carrying her and her luggage as she held onto the woman who had introduced herself as Elin as she drove them up the steep incline to the chalet was how much Luisa must have been freaking out at the drive because of the heights. The car that had picked her up at the airport wasn’t able to make the rest of the climb up to the chalet because of the now heavy falling snow. So, they’d stopped at the guest house a few miles away, where she’d been warmly welcomed by Elin. And now here she was, riding on a snowmobile, about to face Luisa and whatever reaction she might have to seeing Rose showing up at the door unannounced. 

Once they got close enough, Rose got off the snowmobile, grabbed her luggage, and after thanking Elin profusely, made her way to the front porch. She waited until she no longer heard the noise from the snowmobile and then took a deep breath to calm her nerves before knocking. 

It took several hard and persistent bangs on the door before she finally heard the deadbolt being unlocked on the other side. When the door finally opened, the wind pushed it the rest of the way, revealing Luisa, closing the fluffy white robe tighter around her body to shield herself from the cold. And when Luisa’s eyes finally met hers, Rose felt her breath catch deep within her lungs. It wasn’t often a woman could take Rose’s breath away, but Luisa had managed to do it twice now. The first time being at the bar when they’d first met. It happened the second she’d laid eyes on her...alone at the bar nursing her club soda. And the second time...happened just then. And Rose knew she couldn’t mess this up...not now. 

“Rose?” Luisa exclaimed, not sure she was believing what she was seeing. 

Rose watched as Luisa looked down at her luggage, her expression full of confusion and questions. The redhead was usually always the cool, calm, and collected type...a woman who was not easily fazed. But Luisa made her nervous. Especially in that moment of uncertainty. And in typical nervous around Luisa fashion, Rose slid her stocking cap off, trying to run her hand through her hair, only to realize it had gone curly from the wetness of the snow. But in that second of nervousness, Rose quickly reigned in those nerves, remembering by the look in Luisa’s eyes that now held hers, that she always loved it when Rose’s hair was curly. So, she made an effort to style her unruly curly locks and then gave Luisa a small but sweet smile. 

“Luisa.” She paused for a moment in dramatic Rose fashion. “May I come in?”


	6. The Sobering Swirl of Fire and Ice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose isn't sure what to expect when Luisa finally lets her inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year! I swear the intent is still for this to be a Roisa New Years fic. It's just taking a little longer to get there than I anticipated because of the...you know...drama that has to happen first. ;)

“I’ll tell you everything. Please...just let me in.” 

At this point, Rose was a little worried. She knew she’d most likely have to endure some resistance from Luisa. Of course, she hadn’t expected to be welcomed with open arms and that beautiful, endearing smile of Luisa’s. But she also hadn’t expected and outright no...especially after having tried that baby, it’s cold outside line. But then again, trying the seductive angle on the brunette when she wasn’t even sure Luisa even thought of her in a romantic way whatsoever anymore probably hadn’t been the best idea either. 

Rose couldn’t help it though. It wasn’t her fault Luisa had answered the door wearing only a bathrobe. Well, she only assumed there was nothing underneath said bathrobe, since Luisa’s hair was still damp...as if she’d just finished taking a bath. And she knew it had been a bath and not a shower because she could smell Luisa’s go to relaxation scent...lavender oil. Plus, she knew Luisa preferred a nice and hot, lavender infused bath over a shower any day. How she knew that...well that was a story for another time. Here in the present, Rose knew she had to get over the enticing sight of Luisa’s exposed legs and scintillating scent if she had any chance of the brunette letting her inside. So, she took in Luisa’s wet hair once more, giving her a hopeful new angle to work from... 

“Luisa, your hair’s wet and you’re standing there in next to nothing. I know I’m probably the last person you want to see right now, but maybe we can discuss this inside...where it’s warm? I don’t want you catching a cold or something worse, okay?” 

Rose watched as Luisa regarded her for a moment, her eyes still intense and serious and her stance rigid and unchanging. Thankfully, another burst of cold wind blew through the doorway, causing Luisa to take a step back and attempt to snuggle herself more into her bathrobe for warmth. She gave Rose a final irritated look before turning around and heading for the living room. Rose took that as a sign that she could finally come inside...and that she definitely was going to have her work cut out for her in making Luisa warm up to the idea of her being there. First, however, speaking of warming up, Rose realized just how cold she’d become while standing in the doorway. She let out a shiver and she stepped inside, her luggage in tow. 

As she made her way inside, Rose was already impressed by the hallway leading to the main living room area. Of course, she’d been in her fair share of chalets before. She even had her own secret one hidden away in the Tibetan Himalayas...a location not even her closest associates knew about. But that also was another story for another time. She found her way into the living room, and instantly let out a contented sigh at the cozy, warmth coming from the fireplace. She placed her now soaked with snow parka on the nearby coatrack and ran her hair nervously through her dark red curls as she approached Luisa, who was sitting on the couch, seemingly lost in thought as she stared at the dancing flames in the fireplace. Rose sat down quietly beside her, not exactly sure what to say. So, she remained silent and waited for Luisa to break the silence instead. 

Luisa watched as the flames did their serene dance inside the fireplace. It was calming. And she needed calm at that moment. Because right now her head and her heart were currently a mess of confusion. She had so many questions for Rose, some of which she wasn’t even sure she wanted the answers to. She felt Rose sit down beside her on the couch, but she hadn’t really fully registered that Rose was actually here...in Switzerland...with her and not with her father in Miami. And that prompted her first question as she continued her gaze at the fireplace. Because shifting her eyes towards the waiting blue she could feel on her would most likely make her lose the resolve she knew she had to keep. 

“Where’s my father? Will he be arriving sometime soon? Did you two decide to take a last-minute engagement celebration trip and neglect to inform me so I’d have to endure the heartache of having to be here for that?” Luisa asked, her voice calm and collected. 

Rose flinched ever so slightly at the mention of heartache. Luisa hadn’t seen it though as she kept her eyes on the fireplace. 

“Your father is in Miami. He won’t be arriving sometime soon. It’s just me. I didn’t intend to cause you more heartache. I don’t...that would never be my intention...” Rose paused for a moment, collecting her thoughts and emotions. “...I came here to be with you. I-” 

“And I came here to get away from you.” Luisa interrupted, still refusing to look at Rose. 

“I know.” Rose replied softly. 

“I don’t think you do.” Luisa replied, trying to keep her voice from wavering. 

“Luisa...” 

“No. You’re going to shut up and listen.” 

After taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly, trying to muster up the courage and strong frame of mind she knew she was going to need in the moment, Luisa shifted on the couch to face Rose, her hazel eyes a mix of hurt and tenderness. Rose gave Luisa a small nod, her bright blue eyes dimming at the hurt emotions coming from Luisa’s. 

“I came here to get away from you. I know you knew that. And I knew it would hurt you...though probably only a little, considering how long ago it was that we’d even talked about how much I hated cold weather. But it was enough. Even if I could inflict a tiny bit of pain in your heart, it was enough. Because maybe then I could finally start making you feel...one minuscule heartbreak at a time...the agonizing heartbreak you’ve made me feel in return.” 

“Luisa...please-” 

Luisa waved off Rose’s response, not interested in anything the redhead had to say at the moment. 

“But then I got here...to this...this place in the middle of the frozen nowhere, surrounded by snow and cold and loneliness. And I realized...the joke was one me. While I would be here wallowing in my own self-pity in a foreign, cold as fuck place...you would be at home, with my family...enjoying the warm weather and walks along the beach with your new fiancé probably not even giving me a second thought. And here I was, giving you second, third, fourth...ummm...let’s just say many thoughts...especially when Elin was showing me the pool.” 

Rose raised her eyebrow inquisitively, although her face remained solemn at what Luisa had just said to her. 

“So once again it was I lose...you win. It’s been that way ever since that night we realized you were dating my father. The night you told me that I was a mistake.” 

“No, Luisa...listen, please-” 

“I’m not finished yet.” Luisa jumped up from the couch and began pacing in front of it. “I’ve got like five months of pent up emotions and anger to get out, ya know?” 

“I know.” Rose stated quietly. 

Luisa suddenly quit her pacing, coming to a stop in front of Rose. 

“You can’t just show up and expect things to just be okay...because they are so not okay!” 

At that remark, Rose also jumped up from the couch, determination in her eyes as she stood in front of Luisa, leaving only a few inches of space between them. 

“Well...I can’t attempt to try to make things okay again if you won’t even let me talk!” 

“You don’t have the right to talk! You’re the one who made things not okay to begin with!” Luisa threw back at Rose, her voice raised as she, stepped slightly closer to Rose. 

“Okay, then if I’m the one who made things not okay, then shouldn’t I have the okay to say my piece so that the not okay will become okay?” Rose stated back, her voice also raising as she too stepped slightly closer to Luisa. 

“I don’t even know what you just said!” Luisa exclaimed 

Both women were breathing heavily at that point, the adrenaline pumping through their veins as their eyes locked in an intense showdown of stubbornness. The air around them nearly crackled with sexual tension...or maybe that was just the sound of the fireplace. Either way, both women closed the distance between them at the same time, and both grabbed on for dear life as their lips crashed together in a hasty kiss, Rose’s hands grasping the back of Luisa’s neck as Luisa’s clenched the sides of Rose’s face. It was rough and desperate, their lips clashing and seeking out more with passionate intensity, both women pouring over five months of unsaid emotions and pent up inaction over said emotions, with neither woman relenting out of fear those emotions would be too much to handle if they stopped. 

But as Rose’s hands had suddenly made their way down to Luisa’s hips, pulling her flush against Rose’s body, it had become too much for Luisa. She quickly pulled away, catching her breath as she took a step back from Rose. And Rose watched as Luisa’s face, at the realization of what they’d just done, turned from arousal to sadness and then to anger. 

“I can’t! We can’t! None of this is okay. None of it!” Luisa exclaimed, her eyes welling up with tears. 

“Luisa.” Rose started, reaching out for Luisa’s hand. 

“No. Please. I can’t.” Luisa said, her voice cracking as she stepped further back from Rose. “When it stops snowing. I want you gone. Please. Just be gone.” 

Luisa quickly turned and headed for the stairs, leaving Rose to watch her go, tears now forming in the redhead’s eyes as well. She’d known she’d messed things up with Luisa that night when she’d told her that what they’d shared on the Fourth of July had been a mistake. But she hadn’t known how bad she’d messed up then. Of course now, as she stood by herself in front of the fireplace with heartache heavy in the air, she knew. A small sob escaped her lips at the realization. Now Luisa wanted her gone. But Rose wasn’t one to give up without a fight. And as she walked over to the nearest window, looking out at the white-covered landscape as the snow came down heavily, she made a silent wish that the snow would hold on long enough to allow her to make things right with the woman she loved... 

...an hour later, after settling on a room to stay in and making two mugs of hot chocolate, Rose made her way back up the stairs in search of Luisa’s room. When she came to the door at the end of the hallway, she figured it had to be the master suite, since she’d already had a look at all of the other rooms in the chalet. Placing the tray with the mugs in one hand, she used her freed-up hand to knock gently on the door. 

“Luisa? I brought you up some hot chocolate.” 

She knew the odds of getting a response out of Luisa were next to nothing. But that didn’t mean she still wasn’t going to try. So, she tried another knock and waited a moment before talking to the door again. 

“I’ll just leave it here at your door, okay?” Rose bent down and left the tray at Luisa’s door, picking up her mug of hot chocolate and taking a contemplative sip. 

She was about to leave before something popped into her head...something that Luisa had said to her earlier during her much-deserved rant at Rose. So Rose approached the door again, this time leaning her head up against it as she pressed her palm on the door as well. 

“You were wrong, you know...about the winning and losing thing. Since that night I had to tell you that...you were a mistake. And I had to do it, Luisa...for reasons you won’t be able to understand...not unless I tell you. Unless you’ll listen to what I have to say. But you should know that ever since that night, I’ve done nothing but lose. I lost a beautiful woman both inside and out. I lost the magic of her kiss, the thrill of her touch, the fragility of her trust, the kindness of her soul...all of it. And that’s on me. I take full blame for that loss...all of it. But please...please don’t continue to think you’re some kind of perpetual loser. Because you’re so far from it, Luisa. And I’m sorry if I ever made you think otherwise. I’m so sorry.” 

Rose let out a heavy, sigh, matching the heaviness of what she’d just confessed. Mug of hot chocolate in hand, she turned and headed down the hallway. She was about to go down the stairs when she heard Luisa’s door unlock and then slowly open. As she turned around, she watched as Luisa knelt down and picked up the mug of hot chocolate. When she stood, her eyes, still glistening with tears, met Rose’s. Rose raised her mug up in a small toast. Luisa did the same before taking a sip and then turning around and going back inside her room. As the door closed, Rose also took a sip of her hot chocolate. It hadn’t been much, but Rose hadn’t expected much. What she’d hoped for was a start. And Luisa coming out of her room and not throwing the hot chocolate in her face...well that was definitely a start.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry/not sorry for the angst and sadness. But at least it ended with promise...right? ;)


	7. The Sobering Question of Why

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose finds out just how much Luisa really hates being cold. And they attempt to talk, but of course with these two, it never ends up going very well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So wow...this chapter ended up being pretty long. Hopefully you all don't mind though. It's got a little comic relief sprinkled in with the angst. So maybe that will make up for it's length? ;)

When Luisa woke up the next morning, it was to a chill in the air and a painful crick in her lower back. The painful crick was understandable, as she’d fallen asleep, sprawled out on the impossibly soft yet perfectly firm king-sized bed...on her stomach. She’d been so exhausted from the flight, the long tour of the chalet, dealing with unwelcome thoughts of Rose, and actually dealing with the unwelcome arrival of said redhead and the inner turmoil it had caused...that she’d basically plopped down on the bed a fell asleep. 

Luisa groaned into her pillow as she carefully tried to roll over onto her side, attempting to gradually work out the achiness in her back. As she opened her eyes, peering out through the messy strands of bedhead-ridden hair currently covering her face, she let out another groan, noticing the mug sitting on the nightstand next to the bed. It hadn’t been a dream. Rose really had shown up at the chalet...in all of her beautiful, goddess-like glory...the snowflakes catching in her flaming-red curls, her blue eyes glistening with the fallen snow around her...the way- 

Luisa let out another grown as she pulled the heavy quilt up over her head and buried her face in a nearby pillow. Then came the shiver. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a shiver of arousal as she’d come to expect whenever inappropriate thoughts of Rose popped into her head at inopportune times. Nope, this shiver was because- 

“Why’s it so damn cold in here?” Luisa whimpered to herself, trying to burrow further into the quilt to no avail. 

Another shiver ran through her body, earning another groan from the brunette buried beneath her covers. Slowly she managed to sit up in the bed, wrapping part of the over-sized quilt around her shoulders. She then let out a sigh of frustration as she looked over at the fireplace, finally noticing the source of what had made it so cold in her room. The fire had burnt out...probably hours ago. She’d completely forgotten to add more wood to the fire last night, and now she was racking her brain trying to remember what Elin had done when she’d shown her how to start up the fire. Of course, her first piece of advice was to not let the fire burn out in the first place. 

“Just great. This is all....just so great.” 

She swung her legs over the side of the bed, trying to keep as much as her bare body covered as possible. And...another groan came as Luisa realized that her flannel, cartoon snowman sleep pants and matching tee were strung about on the floor next to the fireplace. It had seemed like a good idea at the time. The room had been so toasty and cozy feeling from the blazing fireplace. And the hot cocoa had also warmed her up considerably. It had felt like she was back in Miami and not in the middle of a blizzard in the Swiss Alps. Plus...she’d always preferred sleeping in the nude anyway, so there was that. 

Before she could let out another groan of disapproval at the thought of having to unwrap herself from the warmth of the quilt and rush over to throw on her pajamas, another shiver wracked her body as a cold draft whisked its way around her. And suddenly, she found herself over by the fireplace, trying not to give the cold and now drafty room a second thought as she quickly slipped on the discarded pajamas. Still not even remotely warm enough, Luisa headed for the large wardrobe in the corner of the room. She remembered Elin telling her that there was plenty of winter wear in there if she decided she wanted to do any outdoor activities like skiing, snowboarding, or ice-skating. 

Luisa snickered at the thought of actually attempting any of those things. Her clumsiness mixed with her intense hatred of snow would be a terrible combination. And with her luck, she’d most likely start and avalanche as she tumbled down the mountainside in a huge snowball just like what happened in the cartoons she and Rafael used to watch together. She laughed at the picture in her head as she picked through the various garments hanging in the wardrobe. At least she wouldn’t be so damn cold any longer after succumbing to being suffocated by an avalanche. So...there was that. 

Satisfied with her selection, Luisa proceeded to layer herself in more clothing, not really paying attention to just how much she was putting on. Hoping for something positive to finally happen that morning, she walked over to the floor to ceiling windows she’d so admired when Elin had given her the tour yesterday and pulled open the drapes... 

Yet another groan escaped from her lips. It was still snowing...hard. She couldn’t even see the mountains surrounding the chalet. And with the snow not gone, that also meant a certain redhead wouldn’t be gone when she went downstairs to fix some breakfast. 

“Just great. This is all...just so damn great.” Luisa murmured as she swiped the empty hot chocolate mug from the end table and begrudgingly headed out of the bedroom... 

 

…as she made her way down the stairs, Luisa started smelling the invigorating aroma of brewing coffee mixed in with the comforting, delicious smells of cinnamon and sugar baking in an oven. She stumbled, quite literally because she was wearing three pairs of bulky ski socks, into the kitchen to find Rose tending to a bowl she was stirring while adding in ingredients. 

Rose hadn’t noticed Luisa was there yet, so she took a moment to regard the redhead as she tinkered with whatever she was preparing. She was wearing a stylish pair of fuchsia sweatpants that hugged her hips yet somehow seemed to flow perfectly down her legs and flair out ever so slightly at her ankles. Her feet were bare and her toenails perfectly painted in a deep red. 

Luisa allowed her eyes to wander back up those lovely long legs, past her equally lovely backside to the form-fitting, teal top she was wearing. But her eyes had to quickly avert their gaze from there because, of course, Rose wasn’t wearing a bra. And that made Luisa feel a bit warmer...although it could have been the many layers she was wearing too. It was hard to tell. So, her eyes traveled up Rose’s neck, seeing the familiar freckles dotted along it and stopped at the haphazardly pulled up into a ponytail locks of red atop Rose’s head. 

It was the most casual Luisa had ever seen Rose. And in that moment...probably the most beautiful. Because this Rose before her seemed relaxed and at ease with where she was...not burdened by the uppity trophy wife façade she was constantly having to put on. But the thought made Luisa suddenly feel a deep sense of sorrow. Because that was something they could have had together...this casual presence...being at ease with each other while fixing breakfast and just being Rose and Luisa...together. 

Luisa let out a sigh. Unfortunately, it was much louder than she had intended, startling Rose from what she’d been doing at the counter. 

“Luisa! You’re up. Hi!” Rose said probably a little too quickly, having not expected the sudden interruption of the silence around her while she was fixing breakfast and contemplating the very brunette that was now standing on the other side of the kitchen. 

Rose dusted her hands off on her sweatpants and headed over to Luisa. 

“The coffee’s ready. And in a few minutes, the cinnamon rolls will be-” 

Rose stopped in front of Luisa, her eyes running up and down the brunette’s body in confusion. 

“What the hell are you wearing?” Rose asked, her eyes now changing from confusion to amusement. 

“I was cold.” Luisa replied, not humored by Rose’s lips turning up into a smile. 

“Yes, I can see that. But, Luisa...it’s not snowing inside. I think it's safe to take off the snowsuit, earmuffs, and gloves.” Rose tried to stifle a chuckle as she glanced down at Luisa’s feet. “And just how many pairs of ski socks are you wearing?” 

“Don’t laugh at me. You know how much I hate being cold.” Luisa pouted back, not appreciating being made fun of. 

Rose stepped in closer to Luisa, causing Luisa to feel even more warmth at the now close proximity of the redhead. 

“Yes, I know...but darling.” Rose raised her hand up to Luisa’s forehead and brushed against it. “You’re sweating.” 

Luisa could barely process the fact that Rose had just ever so gently brushed the sweat away from her brow, let alone that she’d just called her darling. With her throat suddenly feeling severely dry and her body temperature seemingly rising by the second, Luisa took a few steps back from the redhead, need to get some breathing room and a moment to cool things down...well the best she could while wearing so much winter outerwear. 

Rose sensed Luisa’s struggle and backed away, trying to act as casually as possible as she went back over to her corner of the kitchen to continue with what she’d been doing earlier. She still couldn’t help but smile as she heard the sounds of Luisa’s snowsuit being unzipped. 

“The fire went out in the fireplace. And when I woke up...I was freezing.” 

“Mmm-hmm.” Rose hummed as she finished what she was doing and sauntered over to the coffee pot and poured the steaming liquid into two mugs. 

“And you know...” Luisa continued as she reached up to the zipper of the snow parka she’d been wearing underneath the snowsuit, raising an eyebrow seductively at Rose, as the redhead turned around to look at her, garnering a returned raised eyebrow from Rose as she raised the mug of coffee to her lips. “I do like to sleep naked, so-” 

Luisa was interrupted by the sounds of Rose choking on the sip of coffee she’d just taken. Luisa looked on, thoroughly amused, as Rose tried to regain her composure after a few coughs to clear the coffee from her throat. 

“Damn coffee was too hot.” Rose muttered, her eyes narrowing in annoyance at seeing the huge smirk on Luisa’s face. 

“Mmm-hmm.” Luisa hummed back as she unzipped the parka, revealing a bulky wool sweater underneath. 

“Really?” Rose exclaimed, annoyed that she’d nearly choked to death over the thought of Luisa being naked underneath the parka only to see that tacky woolen sweater instead. 

“Yes. Really. I mean you’d have already known about my naked sleeping habits had you chosen to be with me instead of...well, you know...my father. So...I don't know what to tell you.” 

Luisa gave Rose a shrug of indifference, knowing she just dealt the redhead a low blow. But, she figured, all was fair in love and war. And they were definitely at war with each other when it came to...well pretty much everything at the moment. 

“We’re not discussing that right now, Lu. It’s not the right time.” Rose stated sternly. 

“The right time passed long ago, don’t you think?” Luisa snapped back, shooting Rose an angry glare before pulling the sweater up over her chest. 

Rose watched as the brunette attempted to pull the sweater off over her head, however, it seemed as though she was having a bit of trouble. She couldn’t help but let out a loud burst of laughter. It wasn’t because Luisa was currently stuck inside her sweater though. The laughter came at the sight of the cartoon snowman pajamas that were under the sweater. Well...okay, she had to admit, it may have been both things that had caused the laughter. 

“I’m so glad I can cause you such amusement. When you’re finished laughing over there, you think you can help me out?” Luisa said, her voice muffled by the sweater as she continued to struggle with getting it off. 

Rose approached Luisa, still unable to hold back her laughter. 

“Hold on, hold on. Stand still. I just want to see something.” Rose replied before grabbing hold of the over-sized sweatpants Luisa had on and pulling them down, revealing the matching cartoon snowman flannel pants. 

Rose tried her best to muffle the fits of laughter threatening to escape her lips, causing tears to well up in the corner of her eyes. After a quick attempt to gain what little composure she had left, she proceeded to help pull sweater up and off of Luisa’s head. Luisa’s hair was a tangled mess and she definitely did not look amused. 

“I didn’t take you as the kiddie pajamas kind of girl, Lu. Although I must admit...you look positively adorable in them.” 

Luisa grabbed the sweater in Rose’s hand before turning to march out of the kitchen. 

“I hate you!” Luisa exclaimed before making her exit. 

“Tell me something I don’t know!” Rose shot back. 

“Your cinnamon rolls are burning!” Luisa yelled over her shoulder before disappearing from Rose’s sight. 

“Shit!” Rose muttered as she spun around and ran towards the oven, suddenly smelling the burnt aroma now filling the kitchen. 

 

**_Five Hours Later..._**

 

Rose stood in front of the large picture window in the game room, pool cue in hand, looking out at the snow that was still falling. Even though it was early in the afternoon, the sky was dark and grey...much like the redhead’s mood. She let out a huff of frustration as she made her way back over to the pool table, where she’d been entertaining herself for the last couple of hours. Normally, she’d have cleared the table countless times over by now. Among Rose’s many talents, pool was something she excelled at. She could have even turned pro if she’d wanted to. But she’s chosen a very different career path. And nobody even knew that she could play pool. Well...nobody knew except for a certain brunette who still hadn’t come down from her room in a stubborn attempt to avoid Rose for as long as she could hold out in a cold room on an empty stomach. It didn’t really matter though. Luisa probably had long forgotten the conversations they’d had that Fourth of July night. 

Rose shot the ball too hard, clinching her teeth at the thought of Luisa and just how much she’d allowed her to get under her skin, not really paying much attention that the eight ball had flown off the table and was now rolling away on the hardwood floor. Her eyes followed the ball until it came to a stop...at Luisa’s feet. Rose watched as the brunette bent down and picked up the eight ball, noticing that she’d since changed out of her snowman pajamas. She now wore an over-sized University of Miami hoodie with matching forest green cargo pants...and still several pairs of ski socks. Her hair looked smooth and soft...freshly washed, she gathered, from the subtle scent of coconut wafting through the air, as her long locks cascaded over her shoulders. It was the most casual Rose had ever seen Luisa. And in that moment...probably the most beautiful... 

But before Rose had a chance to further take the beauty of a casually-dressed Luisa, the brunette tossed the eight ball at Rose, which Rose, of course caught with her free hand. Her fast and responsive reflexes being another one of her many talents. The quick catch made Luisa smile as she walked over to Rose, keeping the pool table between them. 

“I could be wrong here.” Luisa started, grasping one of the pool balls on the table and flicking it towards one of the side pockets, missing. “But for someone who was invited to be in the Women’s Professional Billiards Association...your aim really sucks.” 

Luisa looked up at Rose, a teasing sentiment in her eyes. But Rose didn’t smile back at the brunette. She was too busy trying to control the swirl of emotions currently running ramped in her head. 

“You remembered.” Rose responded, her voice just above a whisper. 

“I remember everything about that night.” Luisa replied, keeping her eyes locked on Rose’s intense blue gaze. 

“So do I.” Rose stated, trying to convey the sincerity of her response as best she could without totally breaking down at the fact that Luisa had remembered when she’d told the brunette about her former pool-playing glory days. 

They kept their eyes locked on each other, a moment of understanding passing between them, but neither one quite ready to talk about what it meant. Rose was the one to break the silence, clearing her throat in an attempt to try to break up the tension that had built up between them already in the few minutes they’d been in the same room together again. She walked around to the front side of the pool table and started gathering the balls together. 

“You seem in a better mood this afternoon. I take it you were finally able to get the fire going in your room? Thus, a warmer Luisa equals a happier Luisa.” 

Rose walked over to the pool cue rack, grabbing the triangle off of its peg so she could rack up the balls and start a new game. 

“Not exactly. It turns out, I really fail at trying to light a fire. So...yeah, I might need your help with that later tonight.” 

Rose couldn’t help the smirk that played across her lips. Oh, she could definitely light Luisa’s fire...in more ways than one. But she kept the snarky, sexual innuendo response to herself, since it seemed like Luisa hadn’t really realized what she’d just said. 

“I’ll help you with the fireplace.” Rose replied, positioning the balls in place so they were ready to break. “But I get to ask for something in return.” 

“No, you cannot borrow my adorable snowman pajamas.” Luisa joked, watching as Rose took extra care and precision with racking the pool balls. 

It made Rose laugh, breaking her concentration on racking the pool balls. She stood up, glancing over at Luisa before grabbing her cue. 

“I was thinking more along the lines of you trying not to hate me so much.” Rose said as she reached for the cue chalk and proceeded to chalk up her cue. 

“I’m sorry about that. Truly. It’s just that it was the heat of the moment...you were heated, I was heated...quite literally because I had so many damn layers of clothing on and...” Luisa paused, waiting for Rose to finish chalking her cue so she’d look up back at her. When she did, Luisa continued. “I could never hate you. And believe me, I’ve tried. But I just can’t do it...and especially not after what I found out this afternoon. Doesn’t mean I can’t still be very...very...irritated with you though.” 

Rose had walked over to the front of the pool table and was preparing her break shot, when she stopped, stood up, and turned to face Luisa. 

“What are you talking about? What happened?” 

“Oh, it’s nothing serious or anything. It’s just...I got a call from Dad. I guess he’s been trying to reach you the last couple of hours to make sure you arrived okay. Go figure, he wasn’t calling to check in on me, his daughter, but you...his fiancé.” 

“Luisa...don’t start.” Rose warned, not exactly sure where the conversation was headed, but not anticipating it was going anywhere good at the moment. 

“Yeah, okay, fine. But why didn’t you answer his calls?” 

“I just...don’t want to be bothered right now. I have...too much on my mind. And isn’t the purpose of a getaway in the Swiss Alps just that...a getaway?” 

“Well, I know it was supposed to be a getaway for me, specifically...to get away...from you, so...” 

Rose let out a frustrated sigh, clutching the cue with both hands, trying to muster some sort of unfound strength out of it. 

“Was there something your father needed, Luisa?” Rose asked, her voice full of aggravation. 

“Hmmm? Oh...not, not really. He just wanted to check in and so I told him how great his chalet is and how awesome all of the freezing, snowy weather is...you know, I lied.” 

“Luisa...” 

“Oh, I haven’t got to the best part yet. Then I thanked him for thinking of me and my sobriety when he called Elin and asked her to get rid of all of the alcohol in the liquor cabinets.” 

“Luisa.” Rose whispered, her head dropping down, not wanting to deal with the emotions playing across Luisa’s face, knowing how it was going to affect her. 

“And you know what he said in return? He said he had no idea what I was talking about and neither did Raf. He said he honestly had never even thought of that, but he should thank whomever had thought of it.” 

After a few moments of quietness from both women, the tension and silence became too much for Rose to bear. So, Rose finally met Luisa’s questioning eyes. 

“It must have been Petra then...if it wasn’t your father or Rafael.” She stated calmly, keeping her classic stoic Rose face so as not to give herself away. 

“But it wasn’t Petra, was it?” Luisa replied, taking a step in closer to Rose. 

“Luisa...” Rose warned, taking a step back from the brunette. 

“Why? That’s all I want to know.” Luisa insisted, stepping back into Rose’s space so that she was now backed up against the pool table. 

“Why what, Luisa?” 

“It was you. You called Elin to make sure there’d be no alcohol here. So why? Why do you care about my sobriety? Why do you care whether or not I am drinking my sorrows away in the middle of the god-damned Swiss Alps? You sure as hell didn’t care when you broke my heart the night you chose my father over me and said I was a mistake. And you definitely haven’t seemed to give a shit since then. So...why? 

Luisa had been holding back the tears, but her emotions had now gotten the best of her, and her eyes betrayed her as the salty streams fell down her cheeks. Rose tossed the cue she’d been clutching aside and instead gently clutched Luisa’s cheeks, wiping at the tears with her thumbs. 

“I have always cared. _Always._ No matter what happens, I need you to believe that.” 

Rose’s eyes were fiercely intense yet still possessed a pronounced gentleness that matched the way her thumb softly wiped the remaining tears from Luisa’s cheeks. Luisa reached up to grab onto Rose’s wrists, not quite wanting the redhead’s comforting touch to leave her just yet. But before anything further could happen, they were interrupted by Rose’s phone ringing somewhere over in the corner of the game room. She let out a sigh as she let go of Luisa’s face, recognizing the ring tone. It was one of her business associates. And if they were calling her after a specific order telling them she wasn’t to be disturbed for the week, then it most likely was something important. 

“I’m sorry. I have to take that. It’s about an important business deal I’ve been working on. We’ll talk later, okay?” Rose said, before leaning in to give Luisa a quick peck on the cheek and hurrying over to answer her phone. 

“Yeah...sure.” Luisa replied. But Rose had already answered her phone and was heading out of the game room. 

 

**_Later that evening..._ **

 

After hours of phone calls, many...many emails, and a few more hours of phone calls, Rose had finally finished up her pressing business. As she closed up her laptop, she frowned as she looked out the window of her room. It was already dark outside (and still snowing)...meaning she’d really lost track of time while tending to things. It had been worth it though, her frown turning into a small smile as she thought about what she’d just accomplished. Now it was time to find Luisa and have that talk she’d promised. Now it was time to finally answer why. 

After not having any luck knocking on the door of Luisa’s room, Rose solemnly made her way back downstairs, assuming that maybe Luisa didn’t feel up for talking anymore. However, she was pleasantly surprised when she made her way into the living room area. She couldn't help but let out a small chuckle as she walked over to the fireplace, where she found Luisa curled up on the plush white rug, fast asleep...her head resting on one of the cushion pillows from the couch. And of course, Luisa was wearing her infamous cartoon snowman pajamas...only they were a different color from the ones Rose had seen earlier that morning. 

Rose playfully rolled her eyes as she went over to the couch and grabbed the quilt that was laid out across the back of it. She tip-toed quietly back to Luisa, squatting down beside her and carefully covered her up with the quilt. Then she sat down beside the sleeping brunette, regarding the enchanting way the flames from the fire-place gave a soft back-lighting to Luisa’s frame. It made Luisa look like a beautiful, delicate angel. Her...beautiful, delicate angel. Rose’s hand made its way to Luisa’s cheek, as she gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. 

Luisa stirred a bit, bringing her hand up to trap Rose’s hand against her cheek as she let out a sleepy hum of approval. 

“Rose?” Luisa murmured, her eyes still closed. 

“Shhh...I’m here. Go back to sleep.” 

Rose withdrew her hand from Luisa’s cheek and pulled the quilt further up so that it was around Luisa’s neck. 

“Is everything okay?” Luisa asked, her voice still heavy with sleep. 

“Yes. Everything is okay. I came looking for you so I could tell you something. But-” 

“Can it wait until tomorrow?” Luisa asked as she reached for Rose, still half asleep as she grabbed onto her arm, pulling her down beside her. 

“Yeah. It can wait until tomorrow.” Rose replied, giving in a little too easily to Luisa’s grasp as she sank down onto the soft rug and was coaxed in closer by Luisa’s demanding arm. 

Rose knew she should have instantly jumped up, tucked Luisa in, and left the brunette sleeping in front of the fireplace by herself. But she just couldn’t help herself when it came to Luisa...especially now that she found herself currently under the quilt with her. 

“Mmmm...good.” Luisa muttered as the snuggled in closer to Rose, settling her chin onto Rose’s shoulder as her arm draped over her side, holding her flush against Luisa. 

And just like that, Rose found herself being spooned by the now gently snoring woman dressed in cartoon snowman pajamas on the floor in front of a fireplace in the middle of an ongoing blizzard. Yup...the talk would have to wait until tomorrow. Because right now, Rose felt the most contented...the most loved...she’d ever felt in her life...


	8. The Sobering Promise of Why

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose and Luisa are trying...they really are. But with emotions running high, talking things out seems impossible.

Rose was the first to awaken the next morning. She’d always been an early riser, partly because she could always get the most work done before the rest of the world woke up. And partly because the earlier she could get out of bed, the better her chances were of being able to fend off any morning advances Emilio might try to make on her. She already had to endure his various shows of affection like subtle touches and the scratchy, sand papery feel of his stubble whenever he kissed her. As much as she hated both, those things she could at least put up with. What she couldn’t stomach was the thought of having sex with him. And so, she’d trained her internal clock to go off at obscene hours of the morning under the guise of making sure things were all running smoothly with the hotel and that the staff was ready to handle the morning rush. 

But that morning, Rose didn’t have to worry about getting out of bed before Emilio could try putting the moves on her. Although that morning, she did wake up with a start, thinking she’d overslept and would be subject to Emilio rubbing himself up against her. But her instant feeling of disgust quickly waned as she realized she was still in Luisa’s arms, still being spooned by the shorter brunette, whose gentle snores right near her ear calmed her down and made her sink down into the soft, plush rug and back into Luisa’s embrace. For a moment, Rose let herself feel the blissful sense of contentment she felt at being held by Luisa. She’d missed this so much. It didn’t matter that she’d only experienced it only one other time...the night they’d shared on the Fourth of July. She’d never forgotten just how safe and serene she’d felt in the arms of the beautiful brunette. It was a feeling she wished she could always feel. One she wished would never end. 

But alas, Rose knew that it wouldn’t be right to have Luisa wake up like this. Of course, it felt right...oh so right to the redhead, but there were still things that needed to be said between them. There were still things that needed to be talked about and worked out. And if Luisa still wanted to be with her after all of that...then she’d gladly be there for the brunette to wake up to every single morning. But that would have to wait. She wanted to do things right. Luisa deserved that after all Rose had put her through thus far. 

So, Rose slowly freed herself from Luisa’s grip, smiling slightly as Luisa snuggled herself into the quilt and hugged the pillow closer to her body in Rose’s absence with a small sleepy sigh. Luckily, Luisa was a heavy sleeper, and within seconds, her gentle snore returned. Rose leaned in, planting a tender kiss on Luisa’s forehead before rising up and heading for the kitchen. 

 

**_One Hour Later..._ **

 

Luisa was awakened by her favorite combination of morning smells...coffee and bacon. She hummed in approval as she snuggled more into the quilt, not yet wanting to relinquish the warmth by getting up and following the tantalizing aromas coming from the kitchen. Although she was currently protesting the thought of getting up, Luisa had to admit, she felt more rested than she had in a very long time. She didn’t really remember having fallen asleep in front of the fireplace...only that she’d decided to sit there and wait for Rose to be done with all of her phone calls...or whatever she was working on. But apparently the jet lag and the last few exhausting months of trying to avoid Rose while staying sober had caught up with her. 

As she drew the pillow she’d been hugging closer to her, Luisa could have sworn she smelled the faint scents of sandalwood and jasmine. It was a combination of fragrances that Luisa found sexy and intoxicating. It also happened to be what Rose always smelled like. But of course, that couldn’t be possible. There was no way Rose had been sleeping next to her down there on the floor in front of the fireplace. So, Luisa chalked it up to a dream she must have been having of Rose that she didn’t remember, guessing that dream must have stayed with her after waking up. A sudden rumble in her stomach finally prompted Luisa to give into the temptations of coffee and bacon that were hopefully real and also not part of some dream, as she sat up and stretched out her arms, letting out a small yawn. 

A few minutes later, Luisa found herself walking into the kitchen, this time minus all of the layers of cold weather gear, but still cutely clad in her snowman pajamas and several pairs of ski socks. She saw Rose sitting on one of the bar stools at the kitchen counter, sipping on her mug of coffee while reading something on her laptop. 

“Good morning.” Luisa said through another small yawn, causing Rose to look up and chuckle. 

“Good morning. Did you sleep well?” Rose asked as she closed up her laptop. 

“Yeah...so well. I can’t remember that last time I crashed so hard like that and slept through the night. It feels...awesome.” Luisa responded, as she did another stretch of her arms. 

“Good. I’m glad.” Rose said quietly, relieved that it seemed like Luisa had no recollection that she’d slept through the night curled up against her. 

“Please tell me I wasn’t dreaming the smell of bacon earlier.” Luisa exclaimed after finishing her stretch. 

“No, you didn’t. It’s on a plate over there by the stove. There’s plenty of coffee too. Help yourself.” Rose replied, not able to keep in the amused look on her face at Luisa’s pajamas. 

“What? Do I have something on my face?” Luisa asked, confused as to why Rose looked like she was about to let out a laugh. 

“No, no, your face is perfect.” Rose stated, her eyes sincere in her response. “It’s just that...” Rose pause for a moment before motioning up and down at Luisa. “How many of those snowman pajamas so you actually have?” 

“What? These old things? Pfffft...I’ve had these and the other ones for a long time now. Just couldn’t resist the cute snowmen staring back at me from on the clearance rack during and after-Christmas sale. And so, you know, I thought...why not buy them? Maybe I’ll need warm, flannel pajamas one day, and-” 

“Luisa.” Rose interrupted. 

“Hmmmm?” Luisa replied, confused as Rose was motioning her to come towards her. 

“Come here.” 

As Luisa slowly padded her way towards Rose, the redhead stood up from her stool. When Luisa was finally face to face with Rose, she leaned in closer to her, prompting Luisa to have a bit of déjà vu from when she’d pulled Rose aside at the restaurant after having found out she was dating Luisa’s father. Luisa had thought, rather foolishly it turned out, that Rose was leaning in for a kiss. Instead, she’d embarrassed Luisa by telling her she had mashed potato on her shirt. This time, however, as she leaned in, Rose proceeded to raise her hands, placing them on the back of Luisa’s neck. Her lips were so close to Luisa’s ear that she could feel Rose’s gentle breath. But before she could even gauge what was currently happening, Luisa heard a ripping sound as Rose pulled on something at the back of her neck. 

As Rose returned to facing Luisa, she held up a price tag hanging from a plastic fastener, prompting Luisa to reach back and scratch at her neck. 

“No wonder I kept feeling itchy last night.” Luisa said, still scratching at her back and garnering a chuckle out of Rose. 

“So, you’ve had these pajamas for a while now, you say?” Rose asked, smirking with a raised eyebrow as she held up the price tag in front of Luisa, noticing that the price of the pajamas was in Swiss Francs. 

Luisa frowned, realizing she’d been busted. She quickly yanked the tag out of Rose’s hand. 

“Fine. Okay...whatever, you caught me. I had no idea it would be so cold here until I got off the plane and was already instantly freezing. One of the airport gift shops was selling the pajamas on a special. So, I grabbed...several pairs. It was either cartoon snowmen or risk getting frostbite on my ass!” 

Rose was trying her best to keep a straight face. She took a few seconds to gather her composure before taking a step closer into Luisa’s space, now putting on a slightly seductive façade. 

“Because you like to sleep _naked_.” Rose said, accentuating the naked part of her statement. 

Luisa, not one to be one-upped, took a step closer into Rose, also putting on her best seductive smile as she leaned closely into Rose, her lips nearly touching the redhead’s ear. 

“Damn right I do.” She stated, her voice husky as she then pulled back and looked Rose square in the eyes before giving her a wink and stepping around her, heading straight for the plate of bacon. 

By the time Rose had gotten over the warmth surging through her body and the flush in her cheeks, Luisa had already managed to grab herself a significant amount of bacon, a mug of coffee, and was sitting down on the stool next to where Rose had been sitting just moments earlier. Rose swallowed heavily before walking back over to her stool and sitting down next to Luisa, hoping she hadn’t noticed just how much of an effect the brunette had...would always have...on her. 

“I’m sorry, did picturing me sleeping naked again get you all hot and bothered?” Luisa said, calmly but with a hint of sarcasm in her voice, not looking up from her plate of bacon. 

Rose took a moment before responding, before clearing her throat and turning to face Luisa. But before Rose could respond, Luisa finally looked up at her and continued. 

“I sometimes look way more okay on the outside than I am on the inside...especially when it comes to you.” 

Luisa took a moment to take in a deep breath and then let it out slowly, trying her best to focus on what needed to be said instead of the soulful blue eyes that were keeping a steady watch on her. 

“I don’t understand.” Rose replied, genuinely confused. “Where did that come from?” 

“I kind of had a bit of déjà vu a just a minute ago...and definitely not the good kind. It was the kind that makes me wish I had a drink so I could hide myself in shot after shot of vodka and not have to deal with the way my heart felt like it was shattering into a million tiny shards of painful, sharp glass.” 

“Luisa.” Rose started, reaching out for Luisa’s hand sitting on the counter. 

But Luisa pulled back, not wanting Rose’s touch at the moment. She needed to keep her resolve, and Rose touching her wasn’t going to help with that. 

“When you were leaning in to pull off the tag...a part of me was hoping you were going to kiss me. And in that moment, I was thrown right back into that humiliating night at the restaurant when you stood there telling me that you used me to get sleeping with women out of your system. But then you’d given me a glimmer of hope when you leaned in closer...like you were going to kiss me. Instead you told me I had freakin’ mashed potatoes on my shirt!” 

“Luisa, if we’re going to talk about this now, then there are things I need to tell you first.” Rose said calmly, trying to keep the conversation from escalating into another argument. 

“Nothing you say can erase the humiliation I felt in that moment, Rose. Don’t you get it? Your words...your actions that night, stung like hell...hurt to the core. Because here I’d thought I’d connected deeply with the most wonderful...beyond sexy woman...” 

Luisa’s voice trailed off for a moment as she looked away from Rose. She hated being as vulnerable as she felt then...especially when that vulnerability had been looking back at her with such solemn, serious eyes. 

“Luisa-” 

“I was going to call you that night.” Luisa said suddenly, turning back to face Rose, allowing the determination to take over the vulnerability. “After having dinner with my family, I was going to call you. Because I wanted to see you again. I wanted to take you out on a proper date...if you’d have said yes.” 

Rose reached her hand up to cup Luisa’s face, giving her cheek a tender caress with her thumb, sincerity in her eyes as she spoke. 

“I would have said yes.” 

“But you said yes to my father instead.” Luisa replied sadly before grasping Rose’s hand and removing it from her face, then releasing it into Rose’s lap before continuing. “And I’ve been struggling ever since.” 

“Luisa, I’m sorry, I...I thought you’d be okay. You said you already had a girlfriend. I guess that maybe made letting you go a bit easier...knowing you at least had someone to go home to that night...that you at least wouldn’t start drinking again because you wouldn’t be alone...” 

“So, you were okay with tossing me aside, pretending like what we’d shared the night before was nothing because you thought I had someone to go home to? That made you feel better about embarrassing me...crushing my heart?” 

Before Rose could respond, the cellphone sitting next to the laptop rang. Rose took note of the caller ID, then quickly glanced back at Luisa, who was now standing up from the stool. 

“I didn’t have a girlfriend. I lied.” Luisa said before walking past Rose. 

Rose frowned at Luisa’s admission before swiping her ringing cell off the counter and standing as well, raising her voice as Luisa was heading out of the kitchen. 

“We’re not done with this, Luisa. We really need to talk about it. After I’m done with this phone call, we’ll-” 

“We’ll what?” Luisa asked, whirling around in the doorway of the kitchen, frustration in her voice. “Unless you’re going to answer my question of why, then there’s really nothing left to talk about, is there?” 

Rose’s phone continued ringing, but the redhead refused to answer it, determined to convince Luisa that they weren’t done talking yet. 

“I’ll answer your question. Let me take this. I’ll make it as short as possible. Let’s meet up in the living room in an hour?” 

Luisa didn’t look convinced. In fact, she looked down-right irritated. 

“Please?” Rose pleaded, making a promise to herself that she was going to set things straight once and for all no matter the outcome of the phone call she was about to take. 

Luisa let out an exasperated sigh. She was tired of the bickering, that much she knew. And it wasn’t like she could leave the chalet to get away from Rose. So, if it meant finally getting some answers, she supposed she could concede to trying to talk about things one more time. 

“Fine.” Luisa replied. “See you in an hour.” 

“Thank you.” Rose responded, relieved. But Luisa had already left the kitchen. 

 

**_One Hour Later..._ **

 

Rose paced nervously in front of the fireplace. She’d managed to get a lot accomplished in an hour. The phone call went well, lifting her spirits a bit in regards to a major change of plans regarding her business. So, that was good. What wasn’t good was how apprehensive she was feeling at the anticipation of facing Luisa again. Of course, she had many questions for the brunette, including why she’d lied about having a girlfriend the night Rose had rejected her. But she knew she really didn’t' have the right to ask most of the questions she had for Luisa without answering Luisa’s very large, unbeknownst to her, very loaded question of why. 

Rose typically wasn’t one to let nerves get in the way. But with Luisa, it was different. With Luisa, all bets were off, as she always seemed to let her guard down when it came to the brunette. She gave up determining that it was a weakness. Because loving Luisa was a weakness she’d most definitely given into any day. It’s just that...she’d realized that too late. And now here they were...at odds with each other...broken hearts and torn souls. So, the now casually dressed in an over-sized sweater and form-fitting skinny jeans Rose was now wearing a path down in front of the fireplace, lost in contemplation when Luisa came into the living room. 

Luisa let herself regard the pacing redhead for a few moments, wondering what she possibly had to feel so nervous about. She’d spent the last hour relaxing in the hot tub bath up in her bedroom, trying to soak away any thoughts of Rose that seemed to keep infiltrating her mind. She contemplated not showing up in the living room, feigning a migraine or something else totally ridiculous. But in the end, she’d decided it was probably better just to get this over with. They did need to talk. Luisa had been avoiding it pretty much since day one...after being rejected by Rose. So, the sooner they could get this over with, the better, in her humble opinion. Luisa cleared her throat, prompting Rose to finally stop pacing and look over at her. 

“Hey there. Don’t go wearing down that rug too much. It’s my bed now. You know...because I still can’t manage to get a fire going up in my room.” Luisa joked, trying to lighten up some of the tension that hung thick in the air between them. 

The remark got a small smile to form on Rose’s lips, thankful for Luisa’s sarcastic sense of humor in the moment. 

“I promise you later I’ll go up there and get the fire started for you.” Rose responded sincerely. 

“Honestly, I don’t mind sleeping down here. That rug is insanely comfortable. And there’s the super cozy warmth factor, so...” 

For a moment, neither woman said anything. Both not quite sure what to say next. Until...both decided to break the silence at the same time... 

“I’m sorry.” 

Both women couldn’t help but smile at having just said the same thing. 

“I’m sorry I was hard on you earlier. I let my emotions get the best of me. And it’s just...I haven’t been able to express how you made me feel that night.” Luisa started as she walked around the couch to sit down. 

After a few long strides, Rose was sitting down next to her. 

“Which night? Rose asked, wanting to make sure they were talking about the same thing before triggering an argument before even getting started with some sort of talk. 

“Oh...you mean the night we bared our souls to each other and had copious amounts of sex? Or the night you told me you were getting serious with my father and just used me to get being with a woman out of your system? Because...wow...those are two very different emotions to express.” 

“Please start with the night...I turned you away. I’d rather hear the bad first. That way we save the good for a time when we’re able to appreciate and cherish it together.” 

“Ooookay?” Luisa replied, not quite sure she’d ever be at a place with Rose in which she could truly convey all of the beautiful, raw emotions she thought they’d shared together that Fourth of July night. 

“It started with mashed potatoes and ended with a crazy blonde Czech threatening to kick my pathetic ass.” Luisa said through a sigh. 

“I’m all ears.” Rose responded, reaching out to gingerly place her hand atop Luisa’s. 

And much to Rose’s relief, Luisa didn’t pull back her hand this time. Instead she looked down at their hands, back up at Rose, and then took in a steadying breath before starting her story...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter it's finally time for some Luisa and Petra. :)


	9. The Sobering Grounding of Friendship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Luisa gets dismissed as a mistake by Rose, Luisa's heart is broken, and her mind is on alcohol. But a things take a surprising turn when Petra finds Luisa up at the hotel's pool.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since this story doesn't follow canon, Petra and Rafael have been married for 6 months when the dinner reveal happens instead of on the show where Rafael is with some random blonde chick. ;)

**_Five Months Ago-The Evening After the Fourth of July_ **

 

Upon the sheer shock of seeing Rose show up to her family dinner...and then the utter horror of her father greeting Rose with a kiss, Luisa sat frozen in her seat before Rose’s eyes finally met hers. The redhead seemed just as shocked as she was, shaking Luisa out of her state of her own state shock and then prompting her to quickly excuse herself. Apparently, Rose had done the same as the two women met safely out of view from Emilio and Rafael. 

“You’re dating my father?!” Luisa exclaimed angrily. 

“Please lower...your voice.” Rose responded quickly, not wanting to cause a scene that would prompt Luisa’s family to check in on them. 

“...what about last night?” Luisa shot back, not intent on caring who heard them. 

“It was a mistake...I really...I do have feelings for him. And it’s getting serious.” 

Luisa closed her eyes, turning away from Rose for a moment, a grimace on her face. 

“Look, I just...” 

Luisa turned back to face Rose again, giving her an incredulous look. 

“...I think I needed to be with a woman...one last time, you know? Just...get it out of my system.” 

Luisa couldn’t believe what she was hearing, especially after having shared such a magical, intense evening together just the night before. But now wasn’t the time to show just how much her heart was breaking inside. If Rose could write her off as a mistake, then she damn well could get it together long enough to throw something back at her. 

“Yeah, I get it. I mean, I have a girlfriend anyway. Her name’s Allison. She loves to have sex in bathrooms.” Luisa stated, not quite sure why she’d chosen to mention the sex in bathrooms part aside that she wasn’t that great with spur of the moment comebacks. 

“Good...I’m glad.” Rose replied, her face stoic with a hint of smugness. 

With that seemingly settled, Luisa hadn’t expected Rose to step in closer to her. And just like that, she was immediately drawn into the redhead’s alluring presence again. As Rose came in even closer, Luisa prepared herself for the kiss she thought was coming. Rose seductively reached up to grab Luisa’s shirt, their eyes locking heatedly a moment before Rose broke the gaze and looked down at where her hand was grasping. 

“You have some...mashed potatoes on your shirt.” Rose said calmly, brushing Luisa’s shirt before stepping around her and walking away back into the restaurant. 

Luisa’s heart was still pounding from the anticipated kiss. It seemed her heart hadn’t quite caught up with her head, which was still processing what had just happened. But her stomach had definitely caught on, prompting a horrible wave of nausea to surge its way up. Luisa barely made it to the bathroom, storming through the door and hurriedly bursting into an open stall before vomiting the contents of her dinner. Head still in the toilet, she reached up trying to find the handle before finally making contact with the cold metal and pulling it down to flush. That was when her heart finally decided to catch up with the rest of her body. Resting her head against her hands still grasping the toilet, the sobs suddenly escaped, wracking her body as she gasped for air through her fits of heartbroken tears. 

After a few minutes, the sobs finally subsided as Luisa sat back against the cool tiles of the bathroom stall. She wasn’t quite sure what had just happened. It all seemed like a haze...a murky, nauseating haze that had permeated her soul and ripped out her heart in the process. She leaned her head against the wall, looking up at the ceiling, focusing in on the fire sprinkler above her. And in that moment, she wished that sprinkler would burst, pouring down water and whisking her away down the drain. She’d finally felt something real and raw and intense for someone else without needing alcohol to assist her. She’d done it all on her own...allowed herself to feel passion...given away parts of herself she’d never dared give away before. She thought it had been real. She thought Rose had felt the same. 

“A mistake.” Luisa whispered to herself. 

Suddenly, instead of sadness, the anger began to set in. 

“A mistake. How dare she. I mean...how dare she! I rocked her world...several times. She can kiss my-” 

“Hello? Are you done in there? I’ve gotta pee.” A voice called out while banging on the bathroom stall door. 

Luisa quickly stood, smoothing over her jeans and shirt before wiping at her face so she wouldn’t look completely a mess before opening the door and steeping outside the stall, allowing the woman waiting to enter. She slowly made her way back out into the restaurant, peeking around the wall where she and Rose had just had that unpleasant conversation. Looking over at her father’s table, Luisa’s stomach nearly lurched again at the sight of Rose cozying up closer to her father as he regaled Rafael and Petra in a story. Allowing the anger to take over instead of the sadness, Luisa went into what she liked to call her drunk stealth mode...which was basically slinking her way quietly into a target location that had an alcohol stash. And that current target location was the restaurant bar. 

Seeing that Petra and Rafael were still engaged in whatever Emilio was saying, as they were the ones currently facing Luisa’s way, she waited for the bartender to help a customer at the other end of the bar before sneaking behind the bar and swiping two large bottles of her favorite premium vodka. And as quickly as she came, she went, bottles of vodka tucked safely under her arms as she made a beeline for the restaurant exit. Unbeknownst to her, however, Petra had glanced up just in time to see the brunette sneaking out from behind the bar. 

Ten minutes later, Petra had finally been able to excuse herself from the dreadfully boring conversation Rafael and Emilio were having about some sort of pretentious luxury car’s engine parts. Even Emilio’s latest trophy wife contender, Rose something-or-other, was busy texting or doing whatever she was doing on her phone other than paying attention to the father and son duo in front of her. So, Petra had slipped out unnoticed and was currently on a mission to retrieve those two majorly expensive bottles of premium vodka that Rafael’s supposedly thirty-some days sober sister had just pilfered from the hotel’s bar. 

There weren’t many places Luisa could have gone...even if she had already started drinking. She wasn’t staying at the Marbella, and her usual suite when she did stay was currently occupied anyway by some foreign dignitaries visiting Miami. But Petra knew from firsthand experience that Luisa wouldn’t go up to her room to drink herself into oblivion. She’d been the one to stumble upon Luisa during her most recent relapse that thirty-some days ago. Unfortunately, it had been at the hotel pool...where several guests had also been witness to the sad state Luisa had been in. Petra had had to over free cocktail vouchers to those guests as an apology for having to have put up with a the “drunken crazy lady” sitting all sprawled out on the lounger by the deep end. 

So, when Petra quickly made her way up to the hotel pool, she wasn’t surprised to find Luisa in the same spot...down by the deep end. This time, however, she wasn’t sprawled out on the lounger amidst empty, knocked over vodka bottles while drunkenly yet surprisingly coherently belting out the lyrics to Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats,” ...with of course, the substitution of “she” in place of “he.” Petra had had to act fast before any more guests came into the pool area, so she had quickly tossed the empty vodka bottles in a nearby trashcan and scooped Luisa up in her arms, wrapping the drunk brunette’s arm around her shoulders so she could haul her ass out of there immediately. 

“Before you pass out, you’re going to have to tell me if I need to call your lawyer.” Petra had grunted out while pretty much dragging Luisa across the pool area. 

“Hmmmmm?” Luisa had responded, smiling up at Petra, her eyes lidded and dilated. “Why...would I...need...a...lawyer?” She had asked, slurring her words slightly. 

“In case you really did take a Louisville Slugger to both headlights and can’t remember in a few hours when you wake up in rehab.” “Petra had scoffed. 

Luisa let out a silly chuckle before responding... 

“You have...really pretty...eyes. Has anyone ever told you that?” 

Petra rolled those very pretty eyes as they finally made their way out of the pool area... 

...But now as Petra approached the deep end of the pool, it was a very different scenario. Luisa was sitting at the pool’s edge, moving her submerged legs back and forth in the water. There was a pile of used tissues crumpled up on her lap. And the vodka bottles sat unopened up on the lounger next to Luisa’s purse. Her cheeks were stained with trails of smudged mascara as she looked longingly into the pool at her legs gently treading the water. Petra quickly assessed the situation, making sure Luisa hadn’t disturbed any guests like before. But there was only one other guest in the pool area at the moment, and he was currently rinsing off and most likely about to leave. So, Petra carefully approached Luisa, who hadn’t let noticed she was there. The brunette looked genuinely sad. She took in a deep breath and then let it out shakily before looking up to see Petra walking up. Luisa quickly tried to compose herself, wiping at her face even though knowing it was pretty much a lost cause at this point. 

“I’m sorry. I’ll go, I don’t want to disturb any of your guests like last time...even though I don’t even remember last time...just...just what I was told happened and...and I haven’t been drinking this time, I promise...I-” 

“It’s okay, Luisa. There’s no-one around.” 

“Oh, yeah. Well...okay. Thanks for checking on me. I’m fine.” 

“I didn’t come to check on you. I came with the intent to hopefully intercept you before you could down another three hundred dollars' worth of the hotel’s vodka.” Petra replied in her usual nonchalant tone of voice as she looked over at the unopened bottles safely sitting on the lounger. “Now that I see you’ve refrained from drinking yourself into another post break-up stupor. I’ll just collect the vodka and let you be.” 

Petra stepped over to the lounger, picking up the vodka bottles, hoping Luisa would then get the hint and get up and follow her out of the pool area. But as she passed by the brunette on her way towards the exit, Luisa let out a sad sigh as she continued to look longingly at her feet treading through the water. A few tears leaked from her eyes. And as she sniffed loudly, Petra let out an exasperated sigh herself as she turned back around, sat the vodka bottles down safely by the exit door and made her way over to Luisa. She sat down next to Luisa, taking off her designer sandals before sticking her feet into the pool as well. 

“Usually I wouldn’t care. And I’m not saying I care now. But you look like a complete hot mess. And by pretending to care, I’m getting out of an absolutely dull dinner with Raf, Emilio, and Emilio’s completely obvious albeit completely gorgeous soon to be next trophy wife.” 

Luisa let a moment of silence pass as she stopped treading her feet through the water, contemplating what Petra had just said. 

“I had sex with that gorgeous soon to be next trophy wife last night. The best sex of my life...many...many...many times last night. And I thought...that we’d really made a connection. But then she goes and tells me it was a mistake. That she was just getting it out of her system one last time...sleeping with a woman...pffffffffft...can’t you believe that.” 

Petra looked over at Luisa, her eyes wide with shock. And it usually took quite a lot to shock Petra. For a second, she lost her ability to make a sarcastic come-back, still trying to process what Luisa had just confessed. 

“I’m sorry, but I think I misheard that. Surely you didn’t just say you had sex with Emilio’s girlfriend last night?” 

“Hmm-hmm...lots of sex. In the pool, out of the pool. In the hotel room, next to the hotel vending machine after getting our powdered doughnuts, and-” 

“No! No...no, no, no...no. I do not need to hear that.” Petra responded, cringing at the visuals Luisa had just put into her head. 

“I mean...you did ask.” Luisa responded with a shrug. 

“A simple yes would have sufficed.” 

“Then...yes, I did have sex with my father’s girlfriend.” Luisa said through another shrug. 

“You do realize how completely messed up that is.” Petra stated, getting annoyed by Luisa seeming to not care she’d had an affair with her father’s girlfriend. 

“I didn’t know, okay? It didn’t exactly come up during all of the-” 

“Nope. I got it.” Petra said quickly, cutting off Luisa with a flick of her wrist, not wanting anymore Luisa and Rose having sex together visuals. 

“Talking. I was going to say talking. We talked all night and into the morning. You know...in between all of the mad, hot, passionate...sex.” 

Petra let out an irritated huff, pressing her fingers against the bridge of her nose in frustration. 

“All I had to do was take the vodka and walk away...” Petra murmured to herself. 

“She made me want to feel again.” Luisa continued, having seemingly not heard Petra’s previous comment. “For so long I’ve been burying my feelings in bottles of booze because...nobody has really ever bothered to ask me if I’m okay. Nobody has ever wanted to know why. And I’ve never really wanted to feel why, ya know? But with Rose...for the first time in...well...ever, I felt like feeling again. I’m not sure how else to explain it. What I felt...what I thought she’d been feeling in return. It was intense. It was an instantaneous connection.” 

“So intense and instantaneous that she admitted to using you so she could sleep with a woman on last time.” Petra responded dryly. 

Luisa turned to face Petra, hurt and angry by the flippant responses the blonde had been giving. 

“I don’t even know why I’m telling you any of this. It’s not like you care. It’s not like we’re friends. In fact...I’ve never really liked you. I think you’re a blonde bimbo of a trophy wife trying to steal Raf’s money so you can leave him and then move on to your next mark. What do you think about that?” Luisa said, a smug smile playing across her lips. 

But Petra didn’t flinch at the insult. Instead, she met Luisa’s accusing gaze and flashed a smug smile of her own back to the brunette. 

“I think...that _was_ an accurate assessment of my motives.” 

“Ah ha! I knew it! I-” 

Petra held her hand up dismissively, cutting Luisa off before she could continue the insults. 

“Before you embarrass yourself with more futile attempts to slander me, you should note I said _was_ an accurate assessment. Was...as in past tense.” 

“A gold digger never changes her stripes, my friend.” Luisa asserted, unconvinced by Petra’s claim. 

“I thought we weren’t friends?” Petra retorted, wiping Luisa’s sly grin quickly off her face. 

“Yeah, well...whatever. You know what I mean.” Luisa stuttered, trying to regain the upper hand. 

“I know that you’ve managed to call me a blonde bimbo and a gold digger all within the last few seconds of conversation.” 

“But you admitted I was right!” Luisa exclaimed incredulously. 

“Once again, I said you _were_ right. You haven’t bothered to allow me to tell you why that’s not the case anymore. You’ve judged me without knowing the whole story. Something I’m pretty sure you’re familiar with.” 

“Pffffft...I don’t know what you’re talking about?” Luisa scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest and kicking at the water with her still submerged feet. 

“Really? Allow me to further clarify. For instance, just this evening after Rose was introduced to us, you immediately ran out. Rose told your father and Rafael she’d go check on you because maybe it was a “girl thing,” Rafael and your father instantly assumed it was an alcohol thing.” 

“That-that can’t be true. Raf and dad have never been anything but supportive of my...attempts at sobriety.” Luisa stated, her voice wavering a little. 

“Rafael said and I quote...I wouldn’t bother with going after her, Rose. She’s probably just in need of a little liquid courage...you know, so she can figure out how to flirt with you. Because you know...Luisa loves the ladies. And then he gave Rose and your father a wink to which Emilio chuckled and Rose looked...pretty pissed. She went after you and I punched Raf hard in the shoulder on your behalf. Not because I care about you, of course. But because it’s clear you’ve been through a lot...a lot they don’t know about or care to know about. And I know what it feels like to be...misunderstood.” 

“I...thank you.” Luisa said quietly, letting her arms fall to her side, leaning back on them, a pensive look forming in her eyes as she took in the reality of her father and brother making light of her alcoholism. 

“I don’t need your thanks. Just...a bit of respect would be ideal.” Petra replied sternly. 

“Yeah-yeah...of course. I’m sorry for all of the shit I said. This is the part where I’d typically blame it on the alcohol. Turns out...I’m just an asshole whether sober or drunk.” Luisa mused solemnly. 

“Yes, well at least you’re an honest asshole. I can respect that.” Petra quipped back. “Which means you and I have more in common than we probably thought.” 

“It would seem so.” Luisa replied quietly, letting out a sigh as she gazed out over the pool. 

“So this Rose...woman.” Petra started, waiting for Luisa to focus her attention back on the blonde. 

“It’s fine. I’m fine. She told me sleeping with me was a mistake and I told her it was whatever ‘cause I have a girlfriend who likes to have sex in bathrooms.” 

Petra perked up, perplexed and a little disgusted. 

“I’m sorry...is that like...a lesbian thing?” 

“It’s a...I was trying to quickly hide just how much she’d crushed my heart thing.” Luisa answered, sadness in her soft voice. 

“Please don’t tell me I went through cleaning up your mess down here, assuaging the offended guests, and carrying your limp, Carrie Underwood singing drunk ass up to your suite after catching your girlfriend cheating on you to getting back with the bitch ‘cause I will seriously kick that ass Czech mafia style.” Petra proclaimed emotionally.” 

“The Czechs have a mafia?” Luisa asked bewilderedly. 

“Yes. But not the point here.” Petra stated, giving Luisa a serious expression of concern. 

“Fascinating.” Luisa said, contemplating the notion of the Czech mafia. 

“Luisa.” 

“Hmmmm? Right. No, I’m not back with Allison. I just told her that I guess to make her jealous. Or because I’m a glutton for punishment...to make her feel less bad about breaking my heart.” 

“You got that backwards, you idiot.” 

“What?” Luisa exclaimed, offended by the sudden insult. 

“I feel we’ve earned the privilege of being frank with each other now. And telling Rose that you were still with Allison was a dumb mistake.” Petra answered unapologetically. 

“Please elaborate.” Luisa said dryly. 

“If you were as enamored by this woman as you claim to be, then you should have played up the lesbian Luisa lustful vibe.” 

“That’s...not even a thing.” Luisa said through a confused laugh. 

“I just made it a thing. It’s too late to use it now though. You’ve evened the playing field instead of stacking the odds in your court.” 

“I think you’re supposed to say having all the balls in my court.” Luisa replied, trying to keep up with Petra’s quick wit. 

“There are no balls involved if you’re a lesbian, correct?” Petra asked through a sly smile. 

“Okay, well...you’ve got me there.” Luisa stated, throwing up her arms in defeat. 

“As I was saying.” Petra continued. “Now instead of having the advantage, you’re going to be pining away for this woman every time you see her...which is going to be often if Emilio has anything to say about it. Plus, now she’s going to think she’s gotten away with...having her cake and eating it too. Us Czechs have a much better way of putting it. She thinks she’ll have her torture and then kill you too.” 

“I think I’m officially terrified of you now.” Luisa said, studying Petra’s stern face. “And oddly turned on. Can you say that last part in Czech?” 

Luisa raised an eyebrow flirtatiously at Petra, catching the blonde off guard while making her hands slip out from under her. It was a quick slip, however, as Petra instantly regained her composure and faced Luisa’s still quirked eyebrow expression. 

“What’s wrong with you?” Petra asked, pretty sure she didn’t want an answer to her question. 

“Many things.” Luisa responded a little too quickly. 

Luisa then contemplated her response, her face falling and her lips turning downward into a frown. 

“But you’re right. I do foresee pining and definite lusting after a woman I can’t have. Because...what kind of daughter goes after her father’s girlfriend?” 

“What kind of father jokes with his son about his daughter’s sobriety?” Petra snarked back. 

Luisa let out another heavy sigh. Petra watched as the brunette seemingly fell deeper into her depressive state of mind. 

“How about we strike a deal?” Petra said, breaking long silence that had passed between them. 

“Hmmm?” Luisa looked up at the blonde, a far-away look in her eyes. 

“I’ll help get you through your bouts of desire for your father’s girlfriend...maybe even try to make excuses for you to miss those dreadful family night dinners, if...you promise me you’ll stay sober from now on.” 

“Why is my sobriety so important to you?” Luisa asked, touched that Petra had bothered to care where her father and brother obviously didn’t. 

“It’s not, I- 

“You’re busted, babe. Now tell me or I’ll bust out the lusty Luisa look again.” 

“Do not call me babe. And if you look at me in any lusty way shape or form again, I’ll-” 

“Yeah, yeah, you’ll go all Czech mafia on my ass. Got it. But seriously...why do you care?” 

Petra was quiet for a few moments, gathering her thoughts as Luisa watched the blonde’s face turn pensive and maybe even a bit solemn. After letting out a sigh of defeat, Petra finally spoke. 

“I had this auntie. She was more like a mother to me than my actual mother. She took care of me the best she could but...there was always the alcohol. She also preferred top shelf vodka...” 

“Hmmm...I like her already.” Luisa joked lightly, causing Petra to crack an ever so small smile. 

“She tried...so hard to stop drinking. She tried hard...so many times, but...” 

Petra couldn’t finish, her voice cracking slightly as she gazed out over the pool. Luisa scooted in closer to Petra, wrapping her arm around her shoulders and giving her a small squeeze. 

“I’m so sorry.” 

“It’s fine, I just...don’t want to see it happen to anyone else.” Petra said, not quite sure what to do about Luisa currently side hugging her. 

“It’s not fine. And I promise. We have a deal. Although I think you got the tough end of the agreement.” Luisa responded. 

“Why is that?” Petra asked, a hint of worry in her voice. 

“All I have to do is not drink. You, on the other hand...you have the nearly impossible task of taming Luisa the lusciously lustful lesbian when she’s around the redheaded sex goddess.” 

“I’m pretty sure luscious wasn’t in the original description.” Petra stated sarcastically. 

“I know. Your alliteration needed punched up a bit. And I am pretty luscious.” Luisa quipped, raising her eyebrows up and down lasciviously. 

Petra squirmed her way out of Luisa’s embrace and scooted away to a safe distance. 

“I really will kick your ass.” Petra stated firmly, getting an amused chuckle out of Luisa. Petra let out an annoyed huff before continuing. “And to think, all I had to do was grab the damn vodka bottles and hightail it out of her before you even noticed.” 

Luisa scooted back over to Petra, her feet still dangling in the water as she looked at Petra, a sincere smile playing across her lips. 

“Yes, but I’m glad you didn’t. Friends?” 

Luisa held out her hand. Petra looked down, taking a moment to think it over. But when she looked back up into Luisa’s warm, sincere hazel eyes, she felt her hardened heart give...but only a tiny bit, of course. So, she reached out and took Luisa’s hand in hers, giving it a stern shake and nodding slightly to Luisa in agreement. Luisa couldn’t help but smile in genuine happiness. It felt good to finally have someone in her corner...someone who wouldn’t sugar coat the truth and would hold her accountable. And it felt good for that someone to be a no holds barred, mess with her and she’ll kick your ass and use her ties to the Czech mafia in the process kind of woman. But most of all, it just felt good...to have a friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Petra and Luisa is my new favorite thing to write...so fun. Hope you enjoyed it. :)


End file.
